After three decades of service, 15 years serving as general manager, Jimmy Wever retires from the Public Service Commission.
A retirement ceremony was held for Wever at the PSC office Friday afternoon with a multitude of visitors from family and friends to employees and commissioners.
Wever joined the PSC in the early 1980s and intended to retire after 25 years. But his dedication to his job and his community enticed him to remain onboard for an additional decade.
“In 2003, I kicked around the idea of taking over if they would have me,” Wever said. “I thought I would do it for about five years. That would make 25 years, and I could retire. Turns out it was 15 years. I finally made it.”
Edna Rogers, current PSC commissioner, said she can remember the overwhelming feeling that came over her when she first joined the PSC board. She admits she asked a lot of questions and noted that Wever appeared “serious.” But she later realized Wever held a wealth of experience when it came to the PSC.
“I realized that behind that serious face was a lot of knowledge about the utility business,” Roger said. “I realized that Jimmy may have been a quiet person, but he was a thinker. If we ever had any problems, Jimmy had an answer. He always solved everything during that meeting or the following meeting.”
And when it came to the PSC budget, Rogers said Wever was on top of things.
“What was really so amazing to me was when we worked on the budget, he could come within a few dollars as to the cost of things, how much to spend, how much we would have left over,” she said.
Joseph Thomas Jr., who served as commissioner when Wever was named PSC new general manager, said Wever made an impact from his very first day on the job.
“We want to thank Jimmy for what he has done for Yazoo City and Yazoo County,” Thomas said. “Jimmy has done a lot for this country in terms of what he has done right here in Yazoo City. He made a tremendous difference.”
Wever said he has seen so many employees with PSC enter into retirement. Now, he said he is on that same side looking back at his years of service.
“Employees, commissioner and city fathers, thank you for your support,” Wever said. “I couldn’t have done it without you. I was fortunate to have some good supervisors and employees over the years. That made it a lot better. Thank you for your hard work. The backbone of this company is the employees.”
Rogers said not only will Wever be missed in the PSC family but by the community as a whole.
“We wish you the best in your retirement, but we don’t want you to forget us,” Roger said. “Thank you for service.”
“I am not going anywhere,” Wever said.
