It was with a touch of sadness I read that Bev Bender is retiring as town clerk this month. I can’t think of a person I have ever worked with who exemplifies the word “excellence” better than Bev.

I have interacted with her on many occasions and was always impressed with the result. Her work ethic is almost unheard of in today’s computerized world. In all the years I have known her, she has always had a smile on her face. These are a couple of examples of how she has stood out in her job.

Over 10 years ago, my wife and I were sitting on the patio after dinner enjoying a nice glass of wine. When the phone rang, and I answered, I found that Bev was returning a call that I had made earlier in the day. When I inquired why she was calling so late after the town offices had closed, she replied that she always tried to return her messages before going home.

On another occasion, I had delayed submitting a permit request for a special event. With the event scheduled for the coming Saturday, I made a call for help. Bev walked it through all the departments that needed to approve it and placed it on that Thursday’s council agenda. After the meeting, she got the proper signatures, made copies, and handed it off to me so that I could get to the AZ Liquor Commission in the morning and put on our event that weekend. Try that in any other town or city in Arizona and see what happens.

I am sure many others could relate similar stories. Bev has earned her retirement, but the Town of Fountain Hills will be a little poorer because of it. Happy retirement, Bev.