Retirement insights from a Colorado PERA perspective

Issues & Perspectives

Recognizing Public Service—Work That Brings Us Together

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During these days of isolation, we remember that so many of the places we long for and the services we rely on are made possible by the daily efforts of thousands of individuals who have devoted their career, or even a part of it, to working for their fellow citizens.

This makes recognizing the contributions Coloradans make during Public Service Recognition Week (May 3-9) especially poignant this year. More than 200,000 PERA members work for the benefit of their communities, and 122,000 others are retired from public employment in Colorado.

The work that public employees do is exceptionally varied. Most people are familiar with the work done by our teachers, troopers, and judges. But that’s just the beginning of the ways in which public employees keep the state running.

The following is a sample of the kinds of work PERA members do that you might be less familiar with.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife operates 19 fish hatcheries across the state, stocking Colorado’s waters with more than 90 million fish per year.

PERA members operate a library in Pueblo that has won awards for its distinctive architecture and for the services it provides to the community.

The Fruit & Vegetable Inspection Service, based in Monte Vista, inspects more than 2.1 billion pounds of fresh produce every year

The Brand Inspection Division of the Department of Agriculture has been recording, administering, and inspecting livestock brands since 1865.

The Northeast Colorado Health Department keeps Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington and Yuma counties healthy—that’s 40 people working hard across 9,200 miles!

The Washington-Yuma Combined Communications Center, which answers more than 23,000 emergency calls per year, is an example of Colorado’s innovative, collaborative spirit.

You probably knew that the Department of Transportation oversees state roadways. Did you also know it oversees the skyways?

Being stuck inside, apart from one another, has provided the occasion for many to think about what happens outside, when we’re together. To all those who do the work mentioned above, and for the thousands of others who weren’t—we’re thinking of you, and we’re thankful for you.

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