Faulkner Retires As Supervisor of Membership Department
It’s no wonder that Charlotte Faulkner says she’s a little worried about how to spend her time in retirement — she’s been doing the same thing for almost 45 years.But when she left her job as supervisor of the Alabama Farmers Federation’s Membership Department on Friday, Nov. 30, she knew she wouldn’t be coming back to her office the following Monday. After 44 years and nine months, she officially retires Dec. 1.”I haven’t envisioned what it’s going to be like yet,” she said recently. “I have no obligations. I just don’t know. I haven’t thought about what’s going to occupy my time. I am a little worried about that — what am I going to do with my time? But I guess I’ll find something. I’ll probably clean house more — if I want to — because cleaning house is not my favorite thing — I’d rather be at work!”It’s that kind of dedication to her job that distinguished Faulkner’s career, a career that spanned more than four decades, nine U.S. presidents and three Federation presidents. “With almost 45 years of service to the Alabama Farmers Federation, Charlotte has literally worked with our organization most of her life,” said her supervisor, Organization Director Mike Tidwell. “You simply won’t find a more loyal and dedicated person. Her work ethic is nothing less than amazing. Charlotte will be greatly missed, but we hope that she enjoys every minute of her well-deserved retirement.”Faulkner, who turned 65 on Nov. 28, was just 21 when she began working part-time in the Federation’s membership department after finances forced her to forgo her education at the University of Alabama. At the time she began work, membership stood at 83,412 with just two employees to manage it. Today, it’s 448,000 with five employees. “I have enjoyed my stay here,” she added. “It’s with mixed emotion that I leave. I’ve got so many friends in the home office and at the service centers. I’ll miss them all.”