MONTGOMERY COUNTY — James Looman is not just a mechanic. He’s a mechanic who volunteers for his community’s Little League and takes the time to help the Girl Scouts.

On a recent spring evening, Looman taught seven fifth-grade girls crowded into the back room of Sikorski’s Service Station about tire pressure, oil and brakes. Even though the girls won’t be getting behind the wheel for several years, they were learning about car care to earn a Girl Scout badge.

Looman doesn’t have any daughters in Scouts — he doesn’t even have any daughters — but he volunteers to help the girls because he can’t say no.

“I can’t say no to anyone,” Looman said with a laugh. “But really, I love to help out, whether it be girls or boys. If I have the resources to help, I’d love to.”

Looman’s work ethic, dedication and even his smile all helped him win this year’s Employee of the Year award in Montgomery County sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce.

Looman has spent 19 years fixing cars at Sikorski’s Service Station in Amsterdam, where he is called “a wonderful employee.”

“He’s very loyal and a real people person, which is important in this business,” owner Fran Sikorski said. “He’s got a big heart and the customers really respect him.”

Sikorski wrote in his nomination application that Looman is the type of employee who allows Sikorski to take time off and not worry about the business, which to him is “more than words can express.”

“When you own a small business and you find that right hand that allows you to go away with peace of mind, that is something that’s invaluable,” he wrote in the application.

Looman is well known in St. Johnsville for saving the town’s Little League fields. After the June 2006 flood, the fields, including the concession stand, were under about 5 feet of water. Looman said they had to be rebuilt, and he was instrumental in securing about $10,000 for the reconstruction.

Looman’s two sons play in the league, he serves as a coach and his wife, Glenda, is on the board. Looman said that through his contacts at the service station he was able to find the right people who were looking to give away money for flood victims.

“The league is running better than it’s ever run,” Sikorski said.

Montgomery County Employee of the Year is awarded annually to a person who has helped a business either through dedication, innovation, customer service or the motivation of others.

Any chamber member can nominate an employee, and the chamber’s events committee makes what chamber director Deborah Auspelmyer called “a very difficult choice.”

“And it’s difficult every year,” she said. “The nominees come from such diverse and different businesses.”

Auspelmyer said Looman was chosen this year because he really encompassed all the award’s criteria and his application showed the other side of him, including helping the Girl Scouts and Little Leaguers.

“It just showed that he goes above and beyond, not only in day-to-day life and through his work ethic, but for the community as well,” she said.