New trustee looking forward to opportunity

Following former village board trustee Bill Bimrose’s resignation March

17, Morton Mayor Norm Durflinger quickly found a solution.

That same night, Betsy Yarcho took oath and grabbed her first seat during

the village board meeting.

“It really was an honor to be asked (to join),” Yarcho said.

Durflinger mentioned his friendship with Yarcho during her introduction

last week.

“When we first lived in Morton, (Durflinger) lived across the street from

us,” Yarcho said. “We’ve always been friends.”

She said initially she was not sure what to expect of the appointment. It

was Durflinger who convinced her she would be able to learn the

responsibilities, she added.

However, Yarcho is not just some quick replacement. She explained why she

thinks she is a good person for the position.

Currently, she is involved with the comprehensive plan. She is on the

parks and recreation committee for the village. In the early ‘90s, she

attended a leadership school through the Morton Chamber of Commerce.

Yarcho works as an employee benefits manager for Heiser Insurance in Morton.

Through her position, “I’ve dealt with a lot of business owners over the

years,” she said.

Yarcho was formerly treasurer of the Illinois State Association of Health

Underwriters. She was also president of the Central Illinois Association

of Health Underwriters, a board of which she is still a member.

She is also on the Women in Leadership of Central Illinois board.

Yarcho said she and her family have lived in Morton for about 24 years.

“We’ve raised our kids here,” she said. She has two daughters, Kristi, 25,

and Karen, 21.

Her husband, Matt, teaches at Jefferson Elementary school. He coaches the

seventh-grade basketball team at Morton Junior High School and Morton High

School’s varsity golf team.

Yarcho said she is looking forward to the opportunity to serve on the board.

“Hopefully, I’ll bring a broad perspective just from working with business

people,” she said. “I’m going to learn as I go.”

“The amount of people I’ve met in Morton through (Matt’s) coaching and my

insurance work is incredible,” she added.

The best way for her to get involved, she said, is by interacting with

people right away.

“I’m just going to go around and sit down to talk with people,” she said.

Yarcho was not quick to say she would run for the position in the future,

only saying she will evaluate her current term to understand if she wants

to do it again.

She said she is positive about the village’s plans for economic development.

“I think it is a great time for us to better Morton,” she said. “It’s an

exciting time. It is going to be fun to see what Morton looks like in 10

years.”

The comprehensive plan interested her since it started, now she is

thinking about how to make the process better.

“Since everything intermingles,” she said, “We need to do it collectively.”

So far, she said that has been working well.

As for the board, “I’ll do everything I can to learn, so I can actually

make an impact,” she said.