CAMBRIDGE - When Dorchester County President George (Lenny) Pfeffer, Jr. added up the number of years Donna Lane has been doing everything that needed doing, his total was 17 years.
Once again, Lane stepped in to set the record straight.
“As of September 6, it will be 18 years and 9 months,” she said.
Pfeffer’s comment had come during a “bittersweet” announcement during the Council meeting Sept. 3.
“This will be the last meeting for Ms. Donna Lane, who is moving on to bigger and better things with a state position. We cannot thank her enough. She has occupied every position in this county from administrative assistant up to acting County Manager. She fills in wherever we ask her to. She takes care of our public information requests, interacts with every department here. She deserves a round of applause,” he said, and everyone in the meeting room agreed.
Pfeffer was the first, but not the last, to personally thank Lane for the help she had provided to him even before he joined the Council.
“Even before I was elected, when I would sit in the audience and I had questions about how the county works, you’d give me the answers. When I got elected, you provided the introduction packet and sat down and showed me how all the different departments worked. Since then, you’ve always been just a phone call or email away. You’ve been such a valuable resource, but a friend, as well. I wish you the best moving forward; God bless you in all your future pursuits,” he said.
Councilman William Nichols had to take a long pause, rocking back and forth in his chair, before offering a mixture of gratitude, grief, and good wishes.
Seeing him choked up, Lane spoke first.
“Don’t make me cry,” she said, with a smile.
Removing his glasses and wiping his eyes he replied, “I’ll try not to.”
Addressing the audience, Pfeffer added, “You can see we’re more than just coworkers here, we’re like family.”
“I remember the first day she started,” Nichols said. “I thought to myself, ‘I like her.’ She was energetic, answered all calls with a call to action, and just a downright good person.”
“There were many days, I’d be in the office, looking for something, and she could find it just like that, after I probably tore up your filing system,” he said, turning to Lane and laughing.
“Sometimes I’d tell her, I’m getting heartburn with this issue , what do you think? Ninety nine percent of the time I went along with what she said because she was right; I had missed something. She never missed anything,” he said.
“I know Jane (Baynard) was a great county manager, but you picked up where she left off. I’ll truly miss you,” he said.
Lane replied,"‘I’ll miss you too, but you know where I’ll be,” referring to her new position as Deputy Register in the Dorchester County Register of Wills Office.
Council Vice President Mike Detmer added his gratitude to Lane for her help even before he joined the Council, when he was a reporter covering meetings.
Detmer especially thanked her for understanding “not only the answer to my questions, but especially how to patiently interface with either the dreamer or the grumpy person I become when frustrated by things outside my control,” he said.
“I’ll miss you; I wish you well, and I’m glad you’re not going very far. But there is a season for everything, just as the season’s changing outside right now; I wish you all the best with your new season,” he said.
Councilman Ricky Travers reiterated how well Lane had continued the traits of her mentor Baynard, wishing her the best of luck.
Derek Griffin, Vice Chair of the County’s Police Accountability Board Chair of the Administrative Charging Committee, praised Lane’s exceptional skill in assisting both groups.
Dorchester County Attorney Charles D. MacLeod commented that throughout his over 20 years assisting the government, “I invariably copied you, knowing that if Donna knows I’ve sent this email there’s going to be a record; over all these years, having that common denominator has made all the difference. County Council members change, even the high managers change, but you’re that indispensable person with the institutional knowledge that keeps the trains running on time,” he said.
Knowing the council meeting’s routine like clockwork, Lane instinctively knew when everyone else had gotten a chance to speak, waiting until then to offer her own thanks.
“It was a pleasure working with you,” she told MacLeod, with this council, and with the other five councils I served under, as well as the department heads and staff. I’m honored to be able to do that and also focus on the best that we can do for our citizens of the county, and I know it will continue,” Lane said.
Responding to a follow up question the next day, Lane noted that one of her most memorable experiences had been serving as acting County Manager.
“But I have enjoyed working for the County in my various roles – being able to assist various Councils, County staff, residents, visitors, etc., in learning about Dorchester County, Council, and the local government process. It has also been rewarding to assist residents and others in identifying and locating the services, resources, contract information, and anything else they needed,” she said.
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