The tail end of summer was the end of the road for a series of great, long-tenured Dawson Road Maintenance (DRM) employees, as more than 85 years of combined industry experience drives off into retirement.
“I worked with some truly amazing leaders and fellow employees here and they all recognize that the work we do matters. This organization matters and it was wonderful to be a part of that for so long,” said David Rhodes, former Operations Manager in the Cariboo region.
Rhodes, who joined the company as a winter auxiliary operator in 2006, will be joining Dan Pannekoek and Arlene Rushton in retirement. Pannekoek entered the highway maintenance industry in the Cariboo region (Service Area 17) in 1989 a few years after Rushton joined the office in 100 Mile House as an administrative assistant in the late 80s.
“All I wanted to do was work with equipment. To me, working in the grader was my dream. I always loved helping people get out of a bad snowstorm and they would show their appreciation by giving you a thumbs up after you were done,” said Pannekoek. “It always made me feel good to see others safe and happy.”
Each of the retirees has a different background and path through the company over the past few decades, but all brought tremendous value to their respective roles.
“We have been very fortunate to have had such great employees for so long within our company. Replacing one of these individuals will be difficult, let alone all three of them. While I have not worked with them long, I have come to learn about their abilities well and understand how important they were to our company’s success. I wish them all the best in their future endeavors and thank them for everything they gave to our organization,” said Gord Miller, Vice-President of DRM.
Rushton survived her first day on the job, answering 1,000 phone calls about a freighting blizzard and became a pillar of stability in the office, putting out fires and helping with everything from payroll to preventative planning. In 1991, she was promoted to Office Coordinator and remained in that role until she initially retired in 2019.
Her retirement only lasted one week, before she was back helping train office staff in the newly acquired North Peace (Service Area 22) and Bulkley Nass (Service Area 25) road maintenance areas.
“I’m ready to retire for real this time. My body is telling me that it is time,” said Rushton. “These people have been like a family and this place means a lot to me. It certainly won’t be easy leaving them once and for all.”
For many of those years, Rushton was completing orders and checking reports sent in by Road Foreman, Rhodes.
During his three years as an operator in Williams Lake and Horsefly, Rhodes was focused on advancement opportunities within the company. After years of studying maintenance agreements, he was awarded the Road Foreman position in Ashcroft in 2009. After nearly a decade of leading a team of 14 employees, he was promoted to Quality Manager in 100 Mile House in 2018, followed by a further promotion to Operations Manager in Williams Lake in 2023 after spending more than a decade growing into a management role and pursuing professional development opportunities.
“I always wanted to chase greatness and push myself in my career. Because of that mindset, I gained lifelong relationships with employees; I loved my different jobs, I took care of myself both financially and spiritually – how much more can you ask for out of a job?” said Rhodes.
For Pannekoek, there wasn’t a lot of moving around once he got his grader seat in Williams Lake in 2007.
“I always tried to be as good of a worker as possible. I was lucky to have managers such as Elcy LePage (Division Manager), Shea de la Mare (Quality Manager) and others that were great to work for. They brought the best out of me and made my time with them very enjoyable,” said Pannekoek.
DRM wishes the three retiring employees all the best and hopes they enjoy their much-deserved retirement.
If you’re interested in working for a company that provides the opportunity for lengthy, stable careers, then please visit our Careers Page to view our current postings.