KEYSER — KEYSER — After 46 years of service to Mineral County Schools, Assistant Superintendent Robert “Pat” Mason will be retiring at the end of the school year.
Praising him for his dedication to the county and the professionalism and expertise with which he has performed his duties, the Mineral County Board of Education accepted Mason's letter of retirement during the regularly scheduled board meeting Tuesday evening.
“I want to commend Pat for all the work and dedication he's brought to the Mineral County School system,” board president Terry LaRue said, noting that Mason “really knows how to dot his 'i's' and cross his 't's' when it comes to personnel.”
Superintendent of Schools Skip Hackworth also praised Mason for his attention to detail when it came to hiring and overseeing the county's professional and service personnel.
“He's always been there to do the right thing in the right way,” Hackworth said, admitting that Mason's recommendations were not always what the board wanted to hear, but it was the right thing to do.
Calling him a good friend, Hackworth said, “Every organization has its structure and that structure and success comes from people like Pat Mason.
“Mineral County Schools has been, is, and will continue to be what it is because of Pat.”
Assistant Superintendent and Treasurer Steve Peer said Mason's actions on behalf of the county “brought credibility to the board.
“He has kept us on the straight and narrow with personnel,” he said.
Visibly humbled by the comments, Mason told the officials he could not have done his job without their support.
“It's been my privilege and an honor to work with you ... and I've just enjoyed it,” he said.
In his years as assistant superintendent, Mason said “something like 25,000 students have gone through the school system,” and he has hired “around a thousand teachers.”
Although Mason's retirement becomes effective on June 30, the board Tuesday approved contracting his services as a consultant for a maximum of 50 days after that to assist with the transition for his replacement.
