Lincoln County Commission Board Chair Paul Donohue will preside over his last meeting Dec. 17. Not only is his two-year term as board chair coming to an end, but he is also leaving the board after serving the past eight years.

Bevin Lister will take his seat on the five-man board in January when a new chairman will be elected.

Donohue also served on the board from 1998-2002.

“Being a county commissioner has been one of the highlights of my life. I cannot even put into words how much I have thoroughly enjoyed this experience,” he said. “It’s been a great opportunity. I have met people and gotten to know people I would not have had it not been for this opportunity, talking to them on the street and on the phone, etc.”

He added, “When you get a chance to serve like this, your perspective changes because you see all of the thousands of hours put in by volunteers who do things for the county and how hard they work at doing it. Makes you appreciative.”

Donohue left the board the first time in 2002 to serve as an LDS bishop. But after Bill Lloyd of Pioche retired from the board in 2010, “I ran again,” he said, “because I loved the opportunity to serve. I like public service, always have. I have been on the Lincoln County Power District Board and the Pioche Town Board in my life. It’s just a job you fall in love with once you have the opportunity to do it.”

He said being on the board and having to deal with county budgets and other issues, “made me appreciate even more how all of that works in the business world, including my regular job with Lincoln County Telephone.

“Being commission board chairman the past couple of years was not something I really wanted to do, but I’m really glad that I did, helps that perspective. I believe life experiences makes up better people. And I want to thank the people of the county for allowing me to serve.”

Donohue will also mark 40 years with Lincoln County Telephone this coming May. “I had a part-time job with them in my high school years, and it later turned into a full-time job.” He is now the outside plant supervisor.