Jan 27, 2021

Hemman retirement is by the numbers

Posted Jan 27, 2021 2:12 PM

By NICK GOSNELL

Hutch Post

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson USD 308 Public Information Director, Ray Hemman is retiring effective June 30, 2021.

"When I announced it to staff, I used three numbers, 85, 50 and 186," Hemman said. "As of December 1, I have my 85 KPERS points, which is the magic number, so by the time I retire in mid-summer, I'll have 86. I'll be able to retire with my KPERS. Fifty is important, because I was raised on a dairy farm, called a dairy kid. If you've ever gone through that experience, from the time you're not even 13 years old, you're part of the operation, which means sometimes getting awakened in the middle of the night to complete milking cows or move cattle out of water. Then, as a journalist and now in my current job, with doing crisis management and safety, my phone is available 24-7 with work. That's been 50 years. That's hard on the body. The final number is 186. I've been blessed with a wonderful granddaughter in Coffeyville. It's 186 miles away and as you well know, when you work journalism or anything like this, there are times when you miss family events."

Hemman's post USD 308 plans are still pretty fluid.

"I'll be listening to God's voice," Hemman said. "I may volunteer. I may find a part-time job. I love the Cosmosphere. I love the Underground Museum. They look for docents. I may do something like that, or I may work part time somewhere."

Hemman appreciates the relationships he's been able to build in Hutchinson.

"Life is a contact sport," Hemman said. "I've had the opportunity to make contact with hundreds, if not thousands of people over the years. I've developed some really wonderful relationships. Even people that may have come to me angry, I was able to work with and develop some very good friendships, not to mention the media that I've worked with over the years. I've been in Hutch now, as of December, I will be here 40 years. I came, my first day on the job at the Hutch News was on the 40th anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day. It's been a long time and I love this community. It's my home, even though I was raised and went to school in southeast Kansas, I'll forever be a Salthawk."

The USD 308 school board will need to decide how they want job descriptions to adjust going into the 2021-22 school year.

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