NECAC, Mo. – Sherry Windland loves nature so much that she once thought of a career as a forest ranger. While she still loves the outdoors, Windland has enjoyed spending more than three decades behind a desk. The 62-year-old Frankford grandmother is retiring as assistant finance director at the North East Community Action Corporation on Jan. 3. Windland began at NECAC as a finance specialist on Oct. 29, 1992. In a world where switching jobs often has become the norm, Windland is proud of staying at one place.

“You’ve got to enjoy what you’re doing and you’ve got to care about what you’re doing,” she said. “In a roundabout way, I’m helping people, and that’s what the job is all about.”

“It has been a pleasure working with Sherry for all these years, and I wish her a long and happy retirement,” said NECAC Finance Director Vicky Pritchett. “She will be missed.”

Windland joined the workforce immediately upon graduation from Bowling Green High School in 1980 and studied office systems technology at Pike-Lincoln Technical Center in Eolia. While some find accounting boring, Windland likes the challenge.

“A lot of it is the work,” she said. “It’s always different. It’s always changing. I’ve met a lot of different people.”

Job stress is one thing Windland won’t miss. With much of its funding from government agencies, NECAC finance staff must deal with multiple auditors and funding sources.

“You’ve got to be 100 percent accurate all the time,” said Windland, who urges young people to be dedicated to what they’re doing. “If it’s not right, I’m going to dig until it’s right and make sure it’s corrected.”

Windland has six children and eight grandchildren, with a ninth grandchild due soon after her retirement. She promises that babysitting “will not be a permanent position” because she has plans to upgrade her home and travel. And then there’s that passion for nature.

“This summer, you’ll either find me outdoors or in the pool,” she said.

 

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   Sherry Windland sits behind her desk at NECAC in Bowling Green. She is retiring Jan. 3 after more than three decades with the agency.