A colorful recognition: Board recognizes retiring highway worker’s 37-plus years
Published 9:50 am Wednesday, July 16, 2014
County board Chairman Tony Bennett, left, shakes hands Tuesday with Vernon Kiefer, who is retiring after almost four decades in the highway department. Kiefer wore a colorful tie made by a co-worker. Photo provided
The county board found a colorful way to recognize an employee for his nearly 38 years of service.
After joking he’d need to dress up when the county board recognized his retirement Tuesday, a co-worker made highway worker Vernon Kiefer a bright, oversized tie, which Kiefer wore the rest of the meeting.
Kiefer’s Mower County Public Works co-workers shared stories Tuesdayabout picking up Kiefer early in the morning to plow, they joked he has nine lives — and used two of them, and they ribbed him for his “well-mannered nature.”
Public Works Director Mike Hanson noted Kiefer’s tenure saw multiple department heads.
“It’s been a pleasure working together,” Hanson said.
Hanson praised Kiefer for having a lot of common sense and said he’s an excellent blade operator.
“He can run just about anything we have,” Hanson said.
