Eileen Trainer is retiring as Lower Merion Township secretary

They don't always agree, but ask any current Lower Merion Township Commissioner from either side of the aisle how they feel about Township Secretary Eileen R. Trainer and what you get is admiration and affection.

"I have long admired Eileen's dedication to the township, her forthrightfullness, and her grace under pressure" said Ward 8 Commissioner Jane Dellheim, a Democrat.

"A strikingly pleasant lady in the best sense of the word" is how Ward 11 Commissioner Lew Gould, a Republican, describes her, "a consummate professional who always has as her first priority, the interests of Township residents. She serves with fidelity."

But after 31 years, Township Secretary Eileen Trainer is retiring. She came to the position in 1981 when then-freshman 8th Ward Commissioner Charlie Ward suggested the Wynnewood resident apply after meeting her at a church social function where "she sold herself.

"The great thing about Eileen Trainer is she has always been very non-partisan and available to everyone," Ward said. "She has handled everything in Lower Merion with class and dignity and has been a true asset."

In 1981, the duties of township secretary were not clearly defined, but Trainer changed that based on her experiences in the private sector.  "I bought the standard up to a professional standard, with certification," she said, and she is a certified municipal clerk, having met the standards of the International Institute of Municipal Clerks.

It's been a good run, Trainer said. When she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma it took her several months to recover, and township employees came every day to have lunch with her. "The people in the township building are in a league of their own."

Over her tenure, Trainer discovered she had a knack for event planning, and became an unofficial township events manager. The first event she put together was the opening of Ardmore House.

Trainer has worked with 59 commissioners since 1981, as well as countless residents in her position as the ultimate liaison between government and community.

"Eileen is without doubt one of the nicest people on the face of the earth, as well as being superb at her job," said Hugh Gordon, president of Lower Merion Federation of Civic Associations.

Teri Simon, president of the Wynnewood Civic Association adds that Trainer is "a consummate professional who has handled every task and every person with grace, fairness and respect."

Trainer has also received many awards over the years, including the Legion of Honor Award from the Chapel of Four Chaplains in 2007.

She'll continue as township secretary until January. After that? "First I am going into neutral," she said. "Then I will go to Florida for a vacation. I will not learn to play golf."