Goodrum Record Breaking Retirement
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On December 31, 2020 Joyce Goodrum says farewell to Ozark Border Electric Cooperative and begins a new chapter of life. Joyce has had an unprecedented career; her service extends over 54 years making her the longest working employee in OBEC history. Joyce has served in our accounting department since 1966. In that time, she has performed every duty in the department. Joyce recalls, “In the beginning all the work was done by hand. There were no computers to keep records or calculate figures, there was pen and paper”. There is no doubt she has seen major changes in personnel, technology, and procedures over the years. Most of us today could not imagine working without a computer.
Joyce has been a mentor to many and source of wisdom for all of us. Hollye Abner, OBEC Manager of Finance and Accounting, said, “It won’t be the same at Ozark Border without Joyce’s smiling face and positive attitude. We have all learned so much from her. It will be impossible to replace her 54 years of knowledge and experience. We will miss her terribly but hope that she and her husband Eli thoroughly enjoy retirement “. “I’ve worked with Joyce for thirty years”, said General Manager David Schremp. “Hollye and I have talked numerous times about how we feel like Joyce ‘raised’ us. When you have someone with that kind of history and knowledge of the cooperative it is invaluable. She has been a cornerstone for the OBEC family, and life here will definitely not be the same without her.”
Joyce plans on devoting her retirement days to traveling with her husband, spending time with her grandchildren and working on their farm. She is leaving big shoes to be filled in our organization. Please join us in recognizing her record-breaking achievement and congratulating Joyce on a richly deserved retirement.