Sometimes it’s easy for residents to forget that public servants spend their lives serving their communities. However, when someone provides dedicated service over a five-decade career is worth of taking note.

At the end of this month, Mike Locke will retire from his position as Deputy city Manager in Stockton. His career has included a 24-year stint in Tracy and 17 years in San Joaquin.

In Tracy, he helped the city cope with one of the largest population explosions in the city’s history. In 1989, the city’s budget doubled to $58 million from the previous year budget of $29 million, as money poured in from a new mall and more than 1,800 new homes that were constructed.

After his time in Tracy, he spent 17 years with the San Joaquin Partnership, working to bring business and jobs to the San Joaquin Valley. During his time with the Partnership, the local community added 59,000 jobs. It was that record of growth that convinced Stockton City Manager Bob Deis to recruit Locke. He asked for two years of service, but due to health reasons, Locke is leaving 7 months shy of the two-year mark.

From the Stockton Record:

Deputy City Manager Mike Locke has announced he will retire at the end of May, ending a career in local government spanning five decades.

Few outside of local government circles may recognize his name, but Locke has left his fingerprints all over the local communities.

Read the full article here.