One of Monroe County’s longest tenured and most versatile employees is set to retire on Friday, Jan. 10 after more than 37 years of service.
Dana Renaud, who served as the county’s Solid Waste Director for nearly two decades, has spent her last year on the job working on special projects, including serving as an administrative assistant in the Monroe County Road Department. Renaud retires as the county’s second-longest tenured current employee behind only Sheriff Brad Freeman.
Renaud began working for Monroe County on June 29, 1987 when then-librarian Jean Jackson hired her for an after-school job at Monroe County Library. The job was supposed to end upon Renaud’s 1988 high school graduation, but Jackson was out with back surgery at the time, and Renaud ended up staying nearly another year.
From there, Renaud moved over to the Commissioners’ Office where then-clerk Curtis Jenkins asked her to fill in while a staffer was out on maternity leave. After a year there, Renaud was recruited to the Monroe County Courthouse by then-Commissioner Tommy Wilson, where she initially split her job equally between assisting Monroe County Superior Court and Monroe County Probate Court. After seven months in a dual capacity, Renaud became a permanent deputy clerk in Monroe County Superior Court under then-Clerk of Court Geraldine Ham. Renaud stayed in that role for more than three years before transferring back to the Commissioners’ Office in 1994, where she worked payroll and accounts receivable and payable for the next five-plus years.
In 2000, Renaud got what would become her big break when she transferred to the county’s Solid Waste and Maintenance Departments, where she served as an administrative assistant under Maxine Allen and Emmett Smith, respectively. When Allen retired in 2005, Renaud was tapped to take her place as the county’s Solid Waste Director, a position she held for the next 18-plus years. In addition to her Solid Waste Director duties, Renaud created the county’s Code Enforcement policy and served as a county Code Enforcement Officer alongside Bobby Banks for about 10 years. In early 2024, with retirement looming, Renaud shifted to special projects while giving her protégé, Nathan Dumas, time to adjust to the Solid Waste Director position.
Renaud, who joined the workforce at the age of 17 and never looked back, said she’s been thinking about retirement for nearly a decade, but particularly over the past five years. Renaud had shoulder surgery several years ago that forced her to stay home more than normal, and she realized it was something she could get used to.
“That was my eye opener that I’m going to be okay not working,” Renaud said. “That was my first time thinking, ‘I can do this.’”
Under Renaud’s leadership, Monroe County’s Solid Waste department has expanded to 38 total employees, including drivers, in-house maintenance attendants, and fill-in “floaters.” She oversaw all 13 county recycling centers while also coordinating state prison inmate roadside trash cleanup, providing directions for the inmates and guards. In addition, Renaud provided community and youth education about the importance of keeping the community clean. In fact, she said her favorite part of her job was hosting Monroe County’s school children at the Hubbard Recycling Center, where she gave presentations on trash and recycling.
As for the hardest part of her job, Renaud said it was dealing with illegal dumping.
She said, “It’s just ridiculous that people are going to dump stuff on the side of the road when you’ve got 13 recycling centers around the county.”
Renaud said another ongoing issue with the county’s solid waste department is that it typically operates at a loss. Renaud said there are two ways Monroe County could attempt to break even financially with solid waste. She said one is to make recycling mandatory with the county selling the recycled items and the second is to make Monroe County citizens pay a small flat fee, perhaps $20, to receive car stickers or decals that allow them to use the recycling centers. Renaud said a decal would especially be helpful because it’s hard for the center attendants to recognize and stop out-of-county vehicles.
Renaud said she initially dreamed of joining the Air Force or being a special education teacher but is now glad that she stuck it out with Monroe County all these years because it gave her time to raise her three children. She said she also made a lot of lifelong friends at the county and said interacting daily with her solid waste staffers whom she affectionately calls, “my guys,” is what she’ll miss most. She loves her guys and considers them family.
Renaud said, “My drivers, my center attendants, they were, and are, the best.”
Renaud said she’s also thankful that she had great supervisors through the years, citing Jackson, Ham, Ben Spear, Gail King, Allen, Smith, Sid Banks, and Jim Hedges as some of her favorites. She said she’s also appreciative of the many county commissioners for whom she’s worked.
Renaud said retirement will allow her to spend more time with her husband of 34 years, Dale, her three adult children, Tonya, Cody, and Kayla, and her five grandchildren, including 16-year-old Pierce, whom she’s raised. The Renauds have made several trips to Italy over the past year to see her youngest grandchild, who is one, while her daughter and son-in-law are stationed there with the U.S. Air Force. The Renauds are also avid motorcyclists and plan to travel to Wyoming this summer to visit Yellowstone National Park and ride the Beartooth Highway. But in the long term, Renaud said she plans to do what she’s done her whole life, and that’s go back to work. She said she wants to drive a school bus but said she’ll also consider working at the future Buc-ee’s.
Renaud said she’s leaving her job knowing that the county’s Solid Waste Department is in good hands with Dumas in charge.
“I was so excited that I found my replacement,” Renaud said. “I knew that he could do it.”
