Audrey Zeiger

Civil Service secretary Audrey Zeiger, who founded the Miss Brook Park Pageant, as well as pageants for several surrounding communities, will retire Friday, capping a 27-year career spent working for the city and schools.

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Audrey is really an outstanding person.She's just really been a great asset to the community.

Elliott said Zeiger was an inspiration to other employees.
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After serving as PTA president at Brookpark Memorial and Ford Middle School at the same time, Zeiger went to work for the Berea School District full time from 1975-1982, as children's librarian at Brookpark Memorial and Fairwood elementaries, and at Berea High.

Despite her heavy involvement with the schools, Zeiger still made time to teach baton to young girls, serve as adult leader for the Brownies and Girl Scouts and to teach a six-week charm school and etiquette course.

That was in the late '60s, she said.It was so nice to see the girls make their debuts, with their little white gloves and purses.

In 1983, Zeiger was hired as clerk of Brook Park City Council, a position she held until 1987.

While serving as clerk, Zeiger attended Kent State University three weeks each summer for three years and was graduated from a municipal clerk's course.

After leaving the clerk's post, she ran for and was elected to the Brook Park Charter Review Commission, on which she served for a year.

In 1989, Zeiger filled in for the council clerk in Strongsville, who was on maternity leave, then filled a number of other posts in Strongsville, including secretary for Mayor Walter Ehrnfelt, secretary for the Strongsville Planning Commission and assistant clerk of mayor's court.
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Returning to Brook Park, Zeiger worked for the city recreation center, before accepting her current post as secretary for the city's Civil Service Commission.
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A former runway model, Zeiger and husband Richard - a retired machinist for the city of Cleveland and former Ward 3 councilman - started the Miss Brook Park Pageant 19 years ago and have run the program ever since.She said she plans to continue to coordinate the pageant in her retirement.

Zeiger also helped to start summer pageants for Strongsville, Berea and Middleburg Heights and still assists those cities, when needed.

She also has judged many other pageants, including Junior Miss and preliminaries for Miss Ohio/Miss America.

Zeiger said she'd thought about sticking around a few more years, to reach 30 years before retiring, but she felt the time was right now.

I'm going to have a lot of time with my family and be able to enjoy my 27 grandchildren, she said.

Audrey and Richard have been married 35 years and have four children each, from previous marriages.

She said she'd also have more time to spend pursuing her other passions, reading Cleveland history, swimming at LifeWorks, and buying and selling antiques on the flea market circuit.

I'm just going to stay optimistic and flamboyant, smile a lot and laugh with the kids, Zeiger said.

Brook Park

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