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Lillian Bowe: Staff photo Jackie Burns, left, talks with Twila Watkins at their retirement celebration on Thursday at the Portales Schools Special Student Services Office. Burns worked as director of special student services for five years and 25 years working in the school district. Watkins worked as an administrative assistant for 24 years.
Editor’s note: The “Meet the” series profiles the people behind groups, organizations and businesses in the community.
Staff writer
Jackie Burns has been with the Portales Municipal Schools for 30 years working as a teacher, principal and currently as the director of special student services.link Lillian Bowe: Staff photo
Jackie Burns, left, talks with Twila Watkins at their retirement celebration on Thursday at the Portales Schools Special Student Services Office. Burns worked as director of special student services for five years and 25 years working in the school district. Watkins worked as an administrative assistant for 24 years.
Burns will be retiring in July from her position and said she is ready for a new period of her life.
“I am ready to travel more,” said Burns at her retirement celebration on Thursday.
Many staff and teachers from the Portales schools came to eat cake and celebrate the career of Burns and administrative assistant Twila Watkins.
Burns said she is excited to spend more time with her family and her grandchildren.
Burns has been with special students services for five years where she worked with special education and other student services. Burns was once principal of Brown Elementary.
Burns said she loved the people she was working with and will miss them.
“I hope I helped families, staff and students with important matters they came with to me,” Burns said.
In the same office of Burns, is Watkins. Burns highly regarded Watkins for running the office for 24 years.
Watkins is excited about retirement and is ready to have time to relax.
“I am not worried that I will get bored as I have many projects to do,” Watkins said.
Some of her projects include traveling, spending time with her family and working on her house. Watkins plans to remove carpet from her stairs and do other renovating projects around her house.
“It is going to be a time to relax and I get time to do what I want. I am very ready for this,” Watkins said.
Watkins will be retiring at the end of June and will be taking advantage of the summer to travel with her husband.
“It will be a little sad. I will miss a lot of the people I work with, but I am ready for retirement,” Watkins said.
