VIDEO: County Commission honors June Brewer for 20 years of service

VIDEO: County Commission honors June Brewer for 20 years of service

PHOTO: June Brewer was honored by the DeKalb County Commission on her retirement from The Council on Aging on Tuesday. The council helps provide a link to essential services for DeKalb County's senior citizens. (Tyler Pruett | Southern Torch)

By Tyler Pruett, Managing Editor 

tyler@southerntorch.com 

FORT PAYNE, Ala.  (Video at the Bottom)  At yesterday's (February 28, 2018) meeting of the DeKalb County Commission, June Brewer was honored for 20 years of service to DeKalb County and the Council on Aging.

This Council on Aging is funded by the Older Americans Act of 1965 as amended, through the Alabama Commission on Aging, the Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments (TARCOG), Area Agency on Aging, and DeKalb County Local Governments and sponsored by The DeKalb County Commission, according to their website. The council helps assist Senior Citizens link up with crucial services; such as transportation, nutrition services, home delivered meals, senior centers, and in-home care.

The commission honored Brewer as the first order of business. Commission Pro Tem DeWitt Jackson, who was filling in for President Ricky Harcrow, who was currently in Montgomery working on getting the county additional road funding, recognized Brewer:

"We are so thankful for you, and all your years of service. You've been a good friend to this commission body, and we thank you for your willingness to work together, and we've had a good run at the council on aging. You've done a tremendous job," said Pro Tem Jackson.

County Administrator Matt Sharp read aloud the resolution: "June Brewer has over the last twenty years dedicated her skills, time, and energy to the DeKalb County Council on Aging. Whereas her personal cooperative efforts to maintain and conduct the operations of this organization have been so beneficial to so many in our area," read Sharp.

"We the DeKalb County Commission, on this 27th day of February 2018, do wish to commend her for her many years of thankful service to our county, and it's citizens, and ask continued special blessings for her in days to come. Signed by the commission," said Sharp.

After accepting the resolution, Brewer stated, "This has been hard, making the choice (to retire). My work family, I spend more time with them than my real family. I'm real excited, but I appreciate the opportunity to have this job for this 20 years. Excuse me, I'm going to cry. I would like for all the commissioners to know, but in November, the transportation department was awarded a certificate for perfect management. And then we got a letter, commending us for having a federal audit (this is federal transit people that come in, and they ask for whatever they want to ask to see), and we are the only county in the State of Alabama to have a federal audit, and have no findings; nothing that we had to go back and correct."

"To me that's very good, not speaking just for me, but the whole staff; I didn't do it by myself," said Brewer. "Then this week, I have not seen the print on it, but it will come out in the Newsletter from TARCOG, we helped more people this past year with the SHELL program, which is helping people choose a prescription drug plan, we helped more people than any county in the five county area. Which includes Madison County, and Madison county is way bigger than DeKalb. So, I want ya'll to know, this group of people over there work hard," said Brewer.

Then, members of the DeKalb County Commission expressed their appreciation for Brewer's hard work over the years:

District III Commissioner Chris Kuykendall said, "Thank you for everything you've done; people you've worked with, and people you've helped. And I expect those tears of joy to be relief as well, but we appreciate it. The program that you've done so much for so many people, the prescription drug program, is one of the most important programs for our citizens. It's a very confusing situation. I've helped some of my clients over the years, and decided quite frankly, with all the changes it was beyond my expertise to do so. I've referred them to you consistently, and I've yet had anyone come back and say they didn't get what they needed. Thank you so much for everything."

County Attorney Charles E. Mauney then said of Brewer: "Mrs. Brewer I personally thank you. We've only had a few legal issues develop since you've been there, and I've been here, but you've always cooperated so fully. And that makes an attorney's job so much easier. And we've yet to fail to get through one of those programs clearly, before that TARCOG issue which developed, and that really was not your fault. That issue got resolved, so thank you for your service since I've been county attorney. I appreciate you."

County Administrator Matt Sharp said: "June, I appreciate you and all your hard work. I know this is a tough decision for you, to want to retire. But I'm sure you want to keep busy, and keep doing a variety of things like we talked about. But I want to tell you, I appreciate you and working with us, and I wanted to wish you a very happy retirement."

District II Commissioner Scot Westbrook said: "I'm relatively new here; I think I was referred to again this morning as, 'the new guy,' again. And I don't believe I've met you before today, but I see your name quite often, and it's always associated with good things. And one thing I would like to say, you've done an excellent job, from what I've understood, and as long as I've been acquainted with what goes on over there. And I think you've laid a really good foundation. And I hope we are fortunate enough to find a person to take your place. (That person) has an easy road to hold because of what you have done over the last 20 years. Congratulations on your retirement!"

District I Commissioner Shane Wootten said of Brewer: "Mrs. Brewer, as everybody has said, and I'll say it again: Congratulations! It's sad that we are losing you because of the passion that you have for your job. It's always a pleasure to see people that have a passion for their job. That means that you care about the people that ya'll serve, as well as the employees over there. Your passion is going to be missed in the county."

"I've been here five years, and I reckon that a commissioners job is to take complaints; that seems to be all I do nowadays. But I've never heard one complaint about the job that you do. It's all always been positive, and that's very unusual; and very, very good. Thank you for the job you've done. I hope you have a wonderful retirement," said Wootten.

"If you hire the right person in my place, it will go forward," said Brewer.

"Thank you so much Mrs. June; we wish you the best of luck in your retirement. Get your loaferin' all done, all those trips you've been planning," said Jackson.

"I'm looking forward to it, I really am, but at the same time it's sad; to walk away from it," said Brewer. "But I'll keep involved some way."

"I'm sure you will. Thank you, Mrs. June," concluded Jackson.

Watch the Video: