This January brought the long and productive career for Ms. Ann Sheffield of Pembroke to a close.

Her career began on Nov. 29, 1976 when she was hired as an office helper in the Pembroke Office of the Georgia Department of Transportation during the push to complete the work on Interstate 16 between Macon and Savannah.

Sheffield retired with 34 years of service on Jan. 31.

She was an inspiration to everyone with whom she had contact, the DOT said. Her personnel file contained numerous letters of commendation from co-workers, supervisors, state and local elected officials, and even DOT Commissioners. In 1991, at the District 5 Annual Meeting, Ann was presented with the Commissioner’s Merit Award for her outstanding performance during the height of Construction in Savannah, for projects such as the Talmadge Bridge Replacement Project, Bay Street Viaduct Project, and the Truman Parkway, just to name a few. It was at this time the workforce went from 20 to 65 employees and contract amounts for the office exceeded $200 million.

The Commissioner’s Merit Award is presented annually to recognize the employee that most exemplifies the best characteristics of a DOT employee.

During her time with DOT, Sheffield moved from Pembroke to Statesboro to Savannah and eventually to the Jesup District Office.

Her career was one best summed up in the work service not only to the state, southeast Georgia and her co-workers, but foremost to the public.

Upon her retirement, Sheffield held the position at DOT as the Confidential Secretary to the District Engineer, a position she embraced and excelled at. As the District Engineer’s Secretary, she was the initial voice to many inquiries from local elected officials and the general public.

"Ann was a consummate public servant, she made every effort to see that everyone felt welcomed and that every detail regarding an inquiry was handled in the most complete and efficient manner," District Engineer Glenn Durrence said. "People with Ann’s communication and customer service skills are extremely rare and always appreciated."