VICKY IS RETIRING AFTER 32 YEARS

The Athens News Courier has a great article featuring our Vicky Dowd.  Follow the LINK or buy a hardcopy today for the complete writeup. 

It was Monday, March 25, 1985, and Vicky Dowd was a 24-year-old Elkmont native. She had applied to work as a customer service representative for Athens Utilities on Jefferson Street and was one of five finalists. She remembers talking with her father about the job, which he encouraged her to take.

“He said, 'Vicky, they've got great retirement,'” she recalled Thursday. “Retirement just seemed like 100 years away, but here I am.”

At a well-attended reception at City Hall Thursday, Dowd said goodbye to her job as administrative assistant and a career with the city that spanned 32 years. Mayor Ronnie Marks said she's been “the voice” of the city of Athens since she's been answering the mayor's office phone for more than 12 years. He also ribbed her about her self-appointed “kitchen police” duties at City Hall. He said employees would occasionally receive emails that said, “Okay, grown people. Whoever it is who has left the trashy dishes in the sink in the kitchen, this is not a hotel and we don't put up with that stuff so get in there and clean up your dishes.”

When asked what she would miss about working for the city, she was quick to say “being in the know.” She doesn't plan on disappearing, however, and will continue to visit her friends at City Hall.
Dowd plans to spend more time with her husband, David, and their children and a new grandchild. She is also teaming up with a friend on what she called a “gourd adventure.” She will also plant pumpkins for the grandchild.

“We live on a farm and have cows and horses,” she said. “I'm afraid my husband might put me to work.”

When asked about longevity, she said a good work ethic and the ability to let drama and negativity roll off her back have served her well. She added the good days have far exceeded the bad.

“The best part of the job was being able to help people who appreciated my help. My mother always said, 'As long as you do your job, you won't have anything to worry about,'” she said. “I feel like I've accomplished enough. … Life is short and I want to stop and enjoy life.”