During a recent El Dorado Parks and Playgrounds Commission meeting, commissioners were advised to work with Debbie Stinson, secretary/officer manager in the city Department of Public Works, to put together a bid package for a proposed project to build a new public aquatics facility.
Commissioners are working on the project following the demolition of the Mattocks Park swimming pool and pool house.
"I recommend you let Debbie Stinson handle that for you. She's got 50 years in City Hall and she's got 50 years of audits and she's never been dinged on anything," said Robert Edmonds, director of public works.
That was May 24.
Fast forward to June 1.
Stinson was going about her tasks on what started out as a routine workday when she began experiencing non-routine events.
First, flower deliveries with congratulatory messages began arriving for her in the public works office next to the El Dorado Water Utilities on North Washington Avenue.
Stinson graciously accepted the flowers and cards, which commended her for her 50th anniversary of working with the city of El Dorado.
A "mix-up" with one of the deliveries briefly left her puzzled and while Stinson thought the situation odd, she casually dismissed it as an error, as was communicated by the delivery driver.
"It had my name on it but the address was to the (El Dorado Municipal Auditorium). They said they had picked up the wrong flowers for me and they went back to the car and brought me some more," she recalled.
Her longtime best friend Karen Webb unexpectedly arrived later to pick her up, saying that she needed to speak with Stinson "about something and take her somewhere."
"We got into the car and she said she needed to stop by the auditorium. I didn't think anything of it," Stinson said.
She didn't think anything of it until she began to recognize several vehicles in the parking lot.
Neither did Stinson notice signs that had been planted on the front lawn of the auditorium.
The largest read, "Wow! 50 (Years) Debbie!" and two smaller ones bore the words "Congrats" and "We love you".
A surprise reception and party had been planned for Stinson in the lobby of the auditorium and when she and Webb entered, they encountered a host of friends, family, co-workers, former co-workers and city officials, past and present. and other guests -- all coordinated by Webb, City Code Enforcement Officer Kirby Craig and his mother Venie Craig and Edmonds
"I was completely shocked. I never expected anything like this. I had no clue," Stinson said, a look of astonishment on her face.
45 years
Comments akin to the ones that Edmonds made during that EPPC meeting on May 24 could be heard throughout the day -- a testament to the work Stinson put in and the impact she has made on the place where she has been employed since she was 19 years old.
Stinson began work in the mayor's office in El Dorado City Hall on June 1, 1972, a year after graduating from Parkers Chapel High School.
I.L. Pesses was the mayor at the time and Stinson handled the city's ambulance billing that flowed through his office.
From there, she moved across the hall to the then-City Clerk's office before landing in the Department of Public Works, her home for the past 45 years.
Ask Stinson to describe her job and in layman's terms, she'll say, "Anything concerning any (city) department, except police, fire and administration."
Some may say it's over simplification of her daily duties.
The Department of Public Works covers a broad range of city operations, including the water utilities, code enforcement, animal control and the street, sanitation and parks departments.
Anyone needing building permits, variance or rezoning request, bid packages, construction documents, city ward or zoning maps, etc., for city projects may start with Stinson.
Of all the changes she's seen in the DPW office over the years, Stinson said the one of the biggest has been the switch to using computers.
"That was a really big deal. We had gone for years without doing that," she said, chuckling at the recollection.
In 2021, the DPW moved out of City Hall to an office building on North Washington Avenue.
"I love it. You can get twice as much done because it's quiet and you don't have as many distractions," she said of the new location.
'I love what I do'
Over the past 50 years, Stinson has worked for seven mayors -- a couple more than once.
Pesses, William Rodman, Larry Combs, Mike Dumas, Bobby Beard, Frank Hash and current Mayor Veronica Smith-Creer have all passed through City Hall during Stinson's tenure.
Dumas, who attended Stinson's reception Wednesday, served as mayor from 1991 until he resigned midway through the last year of his third term in 2002.
Combs accepted the interim post in Dumas's absence until Beard took office in 2003.
Dumas returned for a fourth term after campaigning for and winning the 2006 election and taking office from 2007 until 2011.
Only three public works directors have overseen the department over the past five decades and Stinson said she has been with Edmonds the longest at 20 years.
With 50 years of service under her belt, one naturally wonders if Stinson has any plans to retire in the near future.
"Robert asked me to stay for another 20 years. I don't think I have another 20 years in me," Stinson said, throwing her head back with a hearty laugh. "But I think I'll try to stick it out as long as Robert does."
Smith-Creer presented Stinson with a key to the city and while Stinson appreciates the honor and recognition, Stinson said she's happiest with the relationships she's built over the years, working with the public and doing what she does on a daily basis in the public works office.
"I've just made such good friends with the people I've worked with, the contractors ... I love what I do. I love helping people. It's what I do every day," she said.
Debbie Stinson, secretary/office manager of the El Dorado Department of Public Works, takes a moment from meeting and greeting guests during a party/reception celebrating her 50th anniversary with the city. The party was held June 1 in honor of Stinson, who began working with the city at the age of 19 on June 1, 1972. (Tia Lyons/News-Times)