Longtime county employee retires after 36 years

Brenda McKamey recently retired after 36 years working for the Anderson County government.

McKamey was hired on July 7, 1977, to work as a clerk in the Anderson County Budget Office. She was scheduled to retire on July 7.

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank proclaimed July 7, 2013, as Brenda McKamey Day in Anderson County.

BMcKamey began her career by helping prepare the Fiscal Year 1977-1978 budget documents on a mimeograph machine and then helping manually collate and bind 150 to 200 budget books.

“It’s been an adventure,” McKamey told her fellow county government employees, friends, and family members who gathered on June 26 for a retirement celebration hosted by the county’s Budget and Human Resources departments.

County Executive David Bolling was elected in 1978, and McKamey transferred to the county executive’s office, where she worked as secretary, then later became Bolling’s administrative assistant.

During her retirement reception, McKamey shared one story of the many “adventures” she encountered during her 13 years in the county executive’s office: “One day, I took a phone call from a woman who said some puppies had been dropped off in her yard and she wanted them taken away.

“So, I got in my car and drove to her house, got the puppies—they were beautiful English Springer puppies—and drove them to the humane society in Oak Ridge. I got back to the office—this was before cell phones—and a woman called the office wanting to know what had happened to her puppies. It turned out she and her neighbor were arguing and her neighbor had taken her puppies, put them in her own yard, and called the county executive’s office and said the puppies had been dropped off. I drove back to the humane society as quick as I could, praying the whole way that nothing had happened to them!” she said. “I retrieved them and returned them to the proper owner.”

In 1991, McKamey transferred back to the county Budget Office and has participated in all aspects of the department; she has worked with budget directors Katherine Hoskins, Dale Isabell, Gail Cook, and current Director of Accounts and Budgets Chris Phillips.

“There’s no replacing a person like Brenda; she’s dedicated beyond measure,” Phillips said. “Having an employee with 36 years of knowledge and experience is extremely rare these days, and I have no idea how we’re going to do it without her. We’re excited for her as she gets to open a new chapter in her life and begins to enjoy some of the fruits of her labor,” Phillips said. “She has truly given her all to the citizens of Anderson County. I have been honored to get to not only work with her but to have her as my friend. We wish her nothing but the best that life has to offer.”

In addition to budget directors, McKamey has worked under several administrations as well. She was hired under the administration of County Judge Albert Slusher and worked with County Executive David Bolling, County Mayor Rex Lynch, appointed County Mayors Mark Alderson and Myron Iwanski, and current County Mayor Terry Frank.

“I’m sure I speak for mayors who served before me when I say how thankful Anderson County has been to have a kind-hearted and strong woman like Brenda in government,” Frank said. “After 36 years, she never lost her passion for serving people. She worked with numerous federal, state, and county employees and officials, and I know all of us are going to miss her smiling face, her wisdom, her patience and guidance.”

McKamey said she is going to travel and enjoy spending time with her family, which includes her son, Timothy McKamey and former wife Shirley Huling McKamey; daughter, Patricia Crowley and husband David; and four grandsons, Preston McKamey, 19, Dalton Crowley, 16, Matthew McKamey, 15, and Jordan Crowley, 14. Brenda’s sister, Wanda Griggs, retired from the Anderson County Health Department in December 2012 after 28 years.