Retirement party honors outgoing county manager

Longtime friends, colleagues and community members thanked retiring Churchill County Manager Jim Barbee at his recent retirement party for his foresight and for making the region attractive for agriculture-related events and other activities for future years.

Several hundred people gathered June 25 at the Rafter 3C Arena, which opened three years ago near the outdoor arena. Speakers said Barbee had a vision for Churchill County to become a major player in Northern Nevada by having a state-of-the-art covered arena.

Barbee, who came to the county in 2018 after serving as the director of the Nevada Department of Agriculture, had announced his retirement plans several months ago. Commissioners recently interviewed candidates to replace him, and they offered the job to Chris Spross, the assistant county manager.

Barbee said he plans to explore other options in his career.

J.J. Goicoechea began his career at the NDA as the state veterinarian when Barbee served as director. Prior to that time Goicoechea had interactions with the NDA as an Eureka County commissioner.

“We got a lot of work done together,” he said, referring to the relationship the county had with Barbee.

During his comments, Goicoechea drew some laughter in describing leadership styles.

“And I learned right off the bat a few things about his leadership style other than I already knew that he didn't have patience,” Goicoechea said. “How do I put this delicately? Well, it was just a flat, ready, fire, aim type of leadership.”

Goicoechea said Barbee didn't wait for permission. He didn't waste time second guessing.

“He made a decision, he pulled the trigger, figured it out, sometimes literally, and he hoped the target was somewhere in the vicinity,” Goicoechea pointed out, “and if it wasn't, he said, ‘Don't worry.’”

Goicoechea added more description to his friend’s background and kidded Barbee, who would say, “I have the authority.” As with many of the state’s rural communities, the county manager ensures the local government runs smoothly.

“He stood up for agriculture, and he did it all with grit, guts and yes, sometimes with a bottle or a box of red wine,” he said. “So, here's to Jim Barbee, the man, the myth, the legend, the authority.”

Spross offered comments dating to five years ago when he first came to Churchill County as a project manager. Construction had begun on the Rafter 3C, and Spross met Barbee at the building site. Although there was spirited discussion about the direction of the construction, Spross said the different opinions began to fade.

“So, once we started the construction of this building, we'd hold weekly progress meetings, and all the stakeholders would get together, and I’d pull up my spreadsheets,” he said.

Spross said they would discuss schedules, the previous week’s scheduled and future work for the next two weeks.

Former Commissioner Pete Olsen said Barbee has been a dedicated leader, a pillar of the community and a friend not only to him but also to his family. He said Barbee’s passion for public service is unmatched, and his impact on county operations affected many who worked with him.

“This building we are in, the Rafter 3C, I guarantee would not have happened, without you and your drive,” Olsen said. “There's a whole list of other things that are out there.”

Olsen said one thing that came out of the Navy’s range modernization and expansion was the community's ability to receive more recreation funding for the county.

“It's going to change recreation in our community eventually,” Olsen said.

Another former commissioner, Greg Koenig, spent considerable time with Barbee, but when the opportunity came for him to run for the state Assembly, he didn’t know how to approach the county manager. Koenig worked with Barbee as a county commissioner for one term before he successfully ran for the Assembly.

Koenig said Barbee was gracious but questioned his sanity. Barbee, though, said it was good Churchill County would have representation at the Legislature.

“One of the best things Jim did is he introduced me to J.J. (Goicoechea),” Koenig said, adding they worked on legislation together.

State Sen. Robin Titus, who held the Assembly seat before Koenig, said she learned from Barbee who helped her understand the NDA and natural resources.

As for the Rafter 3C, Titus commended the commissioners and Barbee for obtaining funding for its construction.

“And I also want to point out that the room that we're sitting in … I use this room as an example of what people could do right with federal funding,” she added.

Other speakers thanked Barbee for his assistance over the years, while one former colleague mentioned their international trade visits oversees to Croatia and Vietnam.

Eric Blakey and Matt Hyde, who are first-term commissioners, thanked Barbee for his assistance in making their transition to the commission an easy one.

“I just got to know Jim when I got elected, so our relationship is short. It's been nice,” Blakey said. “I agree with everything the previous people said about his management style, but he is a man of dedication, and this community will feel his impact after all of us are gone, and others are here.”

Blakey said Barbee had a vision for the county.

“He is a thinker, a future thinker. He thinks about things sometimes that other people don't,” Blakey added.

Hyde also thanked Barbee for his dedication to the county and said he’s looking forward to working with Spross.

During his seven years with the county, Barbee collaborated with others to create the multijurisdictional health district, the first rural Public Health Laboratory, the response to floods caused by the Carson River, procuring and revitalizing a downtown building to house Churchill County Social Services and public works, renovate the Emerson Building for public defenders, relocate the CARES afterschool program to the Cottage Schools and procure a lands bill to bring in millions of dollars.

Mayor Ken Tedford enjoyed his time working with Barbee and said they met regularly and also tried to have lunch together at least one day a week. Tedford and Barbee would discuss city/county matters and how they could work together like both governments did with the Rafter 3C.

As a token of the city’s appreciation, Tedford presented a clock with an hourglass to measure time.

Barbee finished the retirement party by thanking the community. He said his family will continue to live in Churchill County.

“We were blessed the moment we moved into this community, and I've been shocked by the number of folks that said, ‘Gosh, where are you going next? Are you guys going back to Gardnerville or anything?’”

Barbee said Churchill County is his family’s forever home, and this is where his children will attend school and will eventually return — when they’re older — to visit.