HOLLAND, MI (WHTC) – An Ottawa County clerk has been recognized for her efforts in helping an Ottawa County family who were detained in Canada due to not having proper documentation.
Rachell Genesky fielded the call after business hours this past June. The family was traveling to New York through Canada and had left their 11-year-old’s birth certificate at home.
Genesky calmed the distraught parents and devised a plan that stepped outside the realm of the norm, all the while adhering to the regulations state statutes defined. She had the parents apply for a copy of a birth certificate through our online website, patiently overcoming each and every technical difficulty the couple encountered. She then obtained contact information for the Canadian border patrol agency and asked her supervisor to communicate with the border patrol agents the situation this family was in.
An agreement was made with the border control to issue a government use only email version of the 11 year old’s birth certificate, which they were willing to utilize as acceptable documentation. By the time the family arrived at the border, the agent had their documentation in hand, and was able to assist them in reentering the United States.
Genesky is the tenth recipient of the County’s Outstanding Customer Service Award. Ottawa County employees are trained to present a friendly, professional demeanor treating customers with integrity and respect. The Outstanding Customer Service Award is presented quarterly to an Ottawa County employee who exemplifies this to both internal and external customers. Customers can nominate an Ottawa County employee for an Outstanding Customer Service award at miOttawa.org.
