Donna Scales announces retirement from Orange County

After working for Orange County in a career which spanned four decades, Donna Scales has decided to call it a career.

Scales, the Parks Administrator of the Orange County Parks Department, submitted her paperwork late Tuesday as she announced her retirment, which will be effective March 31.

She has served as the Parks Administrator for the past 20 years, but it was only in recent months which she began considering retirement and finally decided it was time.

"The main reason is that we will be having our first grandchild and I want to be there and be able to love on her," Scales said. "Plus, I'm at retirement age anyway and, by retiring now, I will actually be able to enjoy everything I want to do."

Scales began her career with Orange County in the late 1980's with a position in the auditor's office. After spending four years there, Scales moved over to a position in the office of Judge Marlon Shelton, the Orange County Justice of the Peace in Precinct 2 at the that time.

Following working in Judge Shelton's office for four years, Scales was one of more than 70 applicants for the Orange County Parks Administrator's position. She has spent the past 20 years in that position.

"Serving the public was something that I really liked doing and that's what I enjoyed about my positions with the county," she added. 'Then being able to do it through the Parks Department was best. I will really miss the people because there are a lot of regulars who come out to the park. Some of them come out everyday, so you really get to know a lot of about them. That's definitely going to be hard not seeing them like I was."

She graduated from Orangefield High School in 1972 and enrolled in college shortly thereafter. At age 19, she married Jimmy Scales and the couple would have three children, Jackie, Jerrid and James.

"It's amazing how excited we all are for this grandchild to be born," Scales said of the soon-to-arrive baby. "If it wasn't for this grandchild, I don't know if I would be retiring yet because I like my job and the people.

"But I want to get the baby's room ready at my house and we all want to enjoy it when the baby arrives," she continued. "And, when I'm not spoiling that grandbaby, maybe I will find us something else to do."