The Woodbury City Council recognized Toni Huettl with the 2025 EXCEL Heart of the Community Award during Monday's meeting, honoring her 34 years of service as a paraprofessional in the school district.

Huettl currently works in inclusion programs with kindergarten and first-grade students at Justice Allen Page School. She began her career with the district at Adventure Connection, the summer program where she continues to work during breaks. According to colleagues who spoke at the presentation, Huettl has worked at all schools within the district throughout her tenure.

Colleagues praised Huettl's dedication to students, particularly her work with challenging cases in the Adventure Connection summer program. One nominator described her as "a deeply caring staff person who works her hardest to have a positive impact on the life of the kids in the program" and noted her success "especially with some of our more difficult students."

Huettl expressed surprise at receiving the award, saying she learned about it when coworker Amanda conducted a morning meeting and read the nomination letter. She described the moment as emotional and said she was "extremely shocked" by the recognition.

The paraprofessional highlighted her connection to the community, noting that she grew up in the area and frequently encounters former students and families. She cited an upcoming wedding invitation from a former student as an example of the lasting relationships formed through her work.