Key Mineral County personnel retire after long careers

Three key positions in Mineral County became vacant as the result of retirements over the past two months. However, they have been filled by familiar faces already seen around the courthouse.

Kevin Chamberlain, who had been a Montana State University Extension Agent for the past 28 years, retired in late May. His position was filled by fellow MSU Extension Agent Dave Brink.

Also, Peggy Stevens, who has been the Mineral County Director and Public Health Nurse for the past 21 years, recently retired. Her position was filled by Jennifer Donovan, who is a registered nurse and works in the Mineral County Health Department as a Public Health Nurse and as the director for the Parents as Teachers Program.

George Gupton, who has been the Mineral County Disaster Emergency Services Coordinator for the past 18 years and the chairman of the Local Emergency Planning Committee, also retired in June. These positions have been filled by Superior Fire Chief Rob Torrey.

A luncheon was held at the county courthouse on June 23 in honor of these three key individuals, who all were instrumental in the growth and success of their respective departments. Chamberlain was on the Mineral County Fair Board, economic development, and chair for the Mineral County Resource Coalition.

“He (Chamberlain) has been a great ambassador for Mineral County,” County Commissioner Roman Zylawy said. “He’s smart and articulate and can get his point across strongly and firmly without being confrontational. He’s been a great diplomat for the county.”

Since 1989, Chamberlain facilitated several programs as an Extension agent in a position that “proves essential by bringing large resources to small rural communities,” according to the MSU Extension website. This includes the Mineral County Shooting Sports Association, 4-H, working with small landowners, forest landowners, agriculture producers, orchardists and gardeners on educational opportunities and service and information regarding locally produced foods.

Chamberlain worked with the county government, state representatives, local boards and community foundations to help educate, access information, facilitate public forums and create contacts for economic and sustained growth for the county.

According to a 2016 report, MSU Extension, under his supervision, “has yielded over $2.36 million in grant funds for projects totaling over $3.8 million.

The most recent project brought three-phase power to the Mineral County Airport for future development of an industrial park and expansion potential for businesses located nearby. One business, Superior Meats, is now able to install and operate industrial grade equipment and create 11 new, full-time positions. Additionally, in 2016, seven business startup clients received assistance with planning, marketing and initial projections, two loan packages were prepared and funded and over 20 business inquiries resolved.”

About his co-worker, mentor and friend, Dave Brink said in a statement, “I’ve had the privilege and pleasure of working with Kevin Chamberlain for the last 20 years and yet it’s hard to find enough words to sum up all of the hard work that he’s done for Mineral County. Extension agents are often asked to ‘quantify’ our impacts on the people in our county based on needs assessments and similar mumbo-jumbo decreed by others who have lost a sense of the ‘service’ part of Cooperative Extension Service.

“Throughout his career, Kevin has been a champion of the notion that anyone who came in our door deserved our time and efforts to provide research-based, non-formal education on a wide variety of topics not the canned and scripted programs so successful in other counties, but rather a unique and personable, individual approach to best meet the needs of Mineral County residents. While not really measurable by academic means, the impacts he has had, simply in people stopping him in the hardware store or on the street to ask simple, but important questions to them, truly reflect his work and admiration in the community. I feel fortunate to have chanced upon this job that, in large part due to the personalities in our office, turned into a career that’s kept me here in Mineral County. It’s been a rare work environment wherein we’ve both learned from and alongside each other over the years. Kevin has been a mentor and a coworker, sagely advisor and merry prankster, but more importantly, a friend. So it is that I am both sad to lose my coworker of so many years, but more happy that he is now able to enjoy his retirement and the many hobbies he’s put off far too long in his service to Mineral County.”

When Peggy Stevens was hired as the Mineral County Public Nurse, she was the only one in her department. Under her guidance, the Mineral County Health Department has grown into six positions and encompasses a number of public health programs.

“She’s done a great job of finding federal dollars to serve the county people without cost to the local budget. That’s a feather in her cap, and hopefully this will continue,” said Zylawy.

Stevens has been instrumental in securing various grants over the years and now there are county nurses who service all three area schools, as well as women and children programs primarily with grant funding.

Some of these programs include a tobacco prevention program, Parents as Teachers, in-home visitors for parents, lactation services, disease prevention, and improved access to health services, including immunizations, WIC, emergency preparedness, communicable diseases and improved public health accreditation.

Gupton, whose position as the DES Coordinator required him to be on-call seven days a week, was responsible for catastrophic events like forest fires, floods, and wrecks on the freeway.

“If there was a wreck at 2 or 4 o’clock in the morning, George was there doing his job,” said Zylawy. “George has been good at maintaining things and keeping hot heads cool. He’s done a good job.”

Keeping hot heads cool and other duties now fall on Fire Chief Rob Torrey.

In a previous interview, Gupton said that he was proud that the county has built a group of responders who made his job so easy, “we’ve been able to handle just about anything that came up and we didn’t need a lot of outside help. Our LEPC has worked well at keeping everyone acquainted and working together and understanding who is responsible for what, and kept things working smoothly together.”

Through mentoring and years already working in their respective fields in the county, the retirees can be rest assured that their programs and departments will continue to move forward and are being left in good hands.