Three longtime Manatee County government employees to retire

Three longtime Manatee County government employees will retire Tuesday. Altogether, they have nearly 110 years of service.

Colleagues and the county commission celebrated their service to Manatee County government at a recent commission meeting. The three concluded their careers in different parts of the county — Bradenton Beach was Rex Beach’s office, Palmetto was Debbie Reagan’s and Bradenton was Tim Scarbrough’s.

Rex Beach, lifeguard

For nearly 40 years, Rex Beach has been keeping residents and visitors safe on Manatee County beaches. The 60-year-old lieutenant is the longest-serving employee within the county’s marine rescue division.

“I just feel like I’m one of the guys,” he said.

In 1971, Beach got his lifeguard certification in Indiana, where he lifeguarded pools. On a motorcycle trip from Kokomo, Ind., when he was 21, Beach stopped in Manatee County to visit a relative and has been here ever since.

“Coming to the ocean environment was a pretty big change,” he said.

In his time working for Manatee County government, the job has basically stayed the same, but the equipment and training have changed, Beach said.

“It has improved dramatically,” he said.

When Beach goes to the beach while off duty, he said he can never totally relax so in retirement he plans to go to beaches without big crowds.

“I just plan to travel, spend weekends and holidays with family and friends,” he said. “Things I sacrificed with work. A lot of time on the water.”

Debbie Reagan, librarian

As a senior at Manatee High School, Debbie Reagan began working for Manatee County Public Library System. It was December 1976 and Reagan was responsible for manually handling the patron registrations.

Nearly 40 years later, the assistant branch manager at the Palmetto Library is ending her tenure with the library, but the 56-year-old Manatee County resident says she will still be around the library.

“Although I won’t be the one opening the library doors anymore, you can be sure I can be walking through on a regular basis and taking advantage of services and programs,” Reagan said.

When Reagan took her first job at the library, she said she thought it would be the job she worked until she figured out what to do with her life.

“But along the way it became a passion and career,” she said. “I think I’ll miss my colleagues. I enjoyed very much working in public service. It is just satisfying to be able to connect people with the information they are seeking.”

In retirement, Reagan plans to enjoy her grandchildren, travel a little more and remain open for whatever is next.

“I’ve never been without a job,” said Reagan, who has been working since 14. “I think there is still time to do something else.”

Tim Scarbrough, sign maker

If it is a Manatee County traffic sign, chances are Tim Scarbrough had a part in making it. In his nearly 30 years with the county, he made approximately 249,000 signs.

In 1986 when the 58-year-old started in the county sign shop, he said he didn’t know what he was doing.

“I was lost,” he said as he made a sign on Wednesday morning.

Over the years, the job has gotten easier, said Scarbrough, who has made signs including street markers, stop signs and school crossing signs.

“It is a lot easier doing it in these ways,” he said. “I told myself when I turned 58 and a half I was done working and I kept my promise.”

Scarbrough, a traffic sign tech, is the longest-serving employee in the county sign shop.

“They are all new,” he said. “I’m the only one that stuck it out and I’ve come a long ways. I’ve had good times here. A lot of good friends here. I’m gonna miss them.”

It’s these friends that Scarbrough says he’ll miss the most.

“I enjoyed working here,” he said. “Everything has changed around here.”

This story was originally published May 30, 2016 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Three longtime Manatee County government employees to retire."