STEVE REID
Editor & Publisher
sreid@lbknews.com
Town of Longboat Key Town employee Sandi Henley has lived in a world of Heaven and Hell for the last 30 years.
First, the Heaven. Henley has spent three decades working in one of the prettiest locations she can imagine, surrounded by a group of close friends and filled with countless memories.
The Hell is the fact that year after year as the Town’s Budget Director, she must present, explain, as well as shape and create every aspect of the Town’s budget. And anyone who has sat through a commission meeting or series of Budget Workshops, will find a world that even Dante could not contemplate in the bowels of the “Inferno.”
But joking aside, Sandi Henley is one of the most valued and adored employees. She has a reputation for working tirelessly into the evenings and on weekends, defying the very stereotype of the salaried public servant. And in a day mixed with mostly joy and a lot of great food and friends, Sandi was thrown a sizable goodbye party as she finishes her final days of employment after three decades and is heading to Panama to live out her retirement dreams with her husband, John.
The Town Manager, several commissioners, numerous current and previous employees as well as Euphemia Haye founder Ray Arpke, all showed up on Friday to wish her well, share memories and mildly roast the departing budget maven.
Why Panama?
Sandi said she does not know anyone in Panama, but it checked all the retirement boxes. First, it has a 40 percent lower cost of living than the United States. Her husband John said they checked out Thailand, “But Sandi doesn’t like Oriental food.”
Another great reason is that Sandi is a beach girl and they are definitely going to live on the beach in their new home which they plan to rent for a year while they survey the situation.
Sandi said the current Town Commission is the favorite commission she ever worked with because she finds the entire group, “so caring of the employees.”
Sandi is not paying a compliment to gain any advantage, she is simply a person who is known to say exactly what she is thinking.
When her fellow employees roasted Sandi, Human Resources Director Lisa Silvertooth said that Sandi had fallen more than any other employee in the history of the town and she tested the insurance policy to its fullest extent.
“But she always bounced back from her falls with great humor,” said Silvertooth.
The only employee currently employed longer than Henley is Donna Chipman who works in the Planning and Zoning Department. She said she would miss Sandi terribly.
Chipman baked a double decker chocolate cake for Henley’s party and Chipman is known to bake all the cakes for all the retirement parties since she is an accomplished pastry chef on the side.
Former Public Works employee James Linkogle said, “I can’t say enough about our friendship, but I don’t ever want to see another FEMA reimbursement spreadsheet.”
Town Manager Howard Tipton popped in to wish her well and said his first impression of Sandi was “I started my first conversation with her on a Monday and it ended on a Wednesday.”
Tipton praised Henley and made a small circle with two fingers and said, “Most people’s vision for their retirement is this as he held a small circle of air, but your vision is a grand adventure and nothing could be more exciting.”
Erica Waggoner is destined to replace Henley and will start on July 14.
