Iredell celebrates employee's work

By: Jim Mcnally | Mooresville Tribune
Published: June 30, 2009

With the retirement of Don Breedlove on Monday, the N.C. Cooperative Extension Iredell Center lost one of its longest serving agents.

Breedlove, who put in more than 31 years with the cooperative extension, received friends, family members and former co-workers at the Iredell County Agricultural Resource Center Monday afternoon.
Godfrey Williams, chairman of the Iredell Board of County Commissioners, called Breedlove's longevity uncommon in these times.

"It's not often now a days that a person would choose to work with one company or one department for this long a time," Williams said prior to presenting Breedlove with a plaque from the county. "And it's going to take lot of people to take over and do the things you've done for the Iredell County."

Deborah Crandall, extension director of North Carolina's West-Central District, presented Breedlove with a framed copy of his state retirement certificate.

She recognized Breedlove for his dedication, consistence and persistence.

But above all, she praised Breedlove for his patience.

"There have been some tough times when things got a little whacky," she said. "But your patience saw it through."

Iredell Extension Director Ken Vaughn recalled that Breedlove was the second person he hired.
When the position became available, the application process in place at the time was routed through Raleigh, Vaughn said. He said he received a number of application s before spotting Breedlove's.
"When I told them they could stop sending applications, they said, 'Thank God!' " Vaughn said.
And that was who Breedlove thanked Monday also.

"If it hadn't been for God and good people like you all," Breedlove said, "I would not be here today."
But Breedlove also thanked Williams, who is battling cancer and not long ago was confined to the intensive care unit at Iredell Memorial Hospital.

"Godfrey, you are a walking miracle," Breedlove said, "so just to see you come up here and do that meant an awful lot to me."

Breedlove, 57, started his job with the extension in February 1978.