‘One that will be missed’

Mary Jo Skarda is retiring from her position as Southwestern Community College’s president’s administrative assistant and board secretary. She has held that position for 32 of the 40 years she has spent at SWCC.

Skarda started out as a special needs secretary for SWCC doing clerical work in a time when there were no computers, cell phones or electric copiers; only electric typewriters, mimeograph machines and carbon copies.

Through the years, Skarda has gained the respect of her colleagues, as well as a wealth of knowledge which enabled her to do her job. Jerry Smith, SWCC board trustee, worked with Skarda for 20 years.

“First of all, we’re going to be losing a lot of institutional knowledge she has,” said Smith. “She’s just been outstanding as far as communication skills with the board as board secretary. She is extremely knowledgeable as far as contacts throughout the state and she’s going to be a huge loss.”

Board vice president, Fred Shearer, agreed with Smith.

“Jo has been board secretary forever, and I’ve only been on the board 17 years,” Shearer said. “She is the one who knows the history and can answer the questions that others of us have no clue. Just this week, we were looking for a map of southwestern districts, and nobody knew, but Jo had it in about five seconds. She is one that will be missed.”

“She has a tremendous work ethic, has a quick wit about her,” vice president of instruction, Bill Taylor, said. “She has all the qualities you would like to see in a fellow employee. She has a lighthearted way about her but is extremely professional.”

As administrative assistant to the president of the college, Dr. Barb Crittenden, and board secretary, Skarda has handled Crittenden’s correspondences with the board and external agencies and special projects, such as working on the school’s various accreditations. Crittenden said Skarda will be missed.

“She has done an outstanding job here over the past 40 years,” Crittenden said. “She is not only highly competent, she has been a pleasure to work with. It is hard for me to think about the fact she won’t be here each morning. Although I will miss her, I wish her the very best in retirement. She has certainly earned it.”

The admiration is mutual. Skarda said she enjoyed working with Crittenden and the board.

“Barb Crittenden has been wonderful to work with, and the SWCC board of directors has been very supportive and wonderful as well,” said Skarda.

One accomplishment Skarda is proud of during her tenure at SWCC is that all three of her sons attended the school and then went on to graduate from Iowa State University. She joked it was good for the boys that she was there — in case they needed lunch money. But they may not have seen her presence as all good.

“I also knew if their car wasn’t in the parking lot, they weren’t going to class,” Skarda said.

Skarda said she preferred to work behind the scenes to get things done and isn’t entirely comfortable with having a fuss made over her retirement. She did say, though, that she enjoyed getting a chance to talk to colleagues, friends and family on Monday about the 40 years she has spent as SWCC.

“It’s been a great 40 years that went way too fast,” she said.

Skarda said this is a bittersweet moment for her. She said SWCC has been very welcoming and she has made some life-long friends there, however, she is looking forward to many things in retirement.

Skarda has four grandchildren — Austin, 14, Hadley, 3, Wager, 3 months, and Sawyer, 5 weeks — that she will be able to spend more time with.

She will also have more time for going to auctions and refinishing furniture. Skarda said her love for old furniture started in high school when her grandfather gave each of his granddaughters an old ice box. She refinished hers as a 4-H project. She is currently working on an old oak dresser. She said she would rather fix something old than buy something new.

At 3:30 p.m. today, Skarda will leave her office for the last time and soon after head for Three Mile Lake where her family will be camping over the weekend to celebrate Hadley’s fourth birthday.

“I thought that would be an appropriate way to start retirement,” Skarda said.