A Fond Farewell to Dennis Cooley
by Al Tekavec
Colorado Rural Water Association has been serving Colorado for 25 years, during that time our association has depended on a small number of employees to cover our great state. The job of serving the water and wastewater systems has always fallen on the shoulders of well-qualified and experienced staff members. At the beginning of May, we found out that one of our staff members was leaving our organization. And what do you say when someone that you have enjoy working with and respect so very much has an opportunity to move to another job.
Dennis Cooley has worked for CRWA for over a decade. When you begin to think that you know him, he messes you up by showing another facet to his warmth, abilities and knowledge. He has been Mr. Western Slope for public water systems, Mr. Trainer at classes and conferences, Mr. Great Human Being to everyone he has met.
To say that we at CRWA will miss Dennis, and that is what we said, is as much an understatement as saying Colorado is an OK state. To say we wish you well, Dennis, really means we wish you weren't leaving. Someone at our last meeting said we don't mind losing good people to new jobs, but how do you lose great people and feel really OK about it?
Dennis, all of us at CRWA have enjoyed the humor, wisdom, and down to earth honesty that you brought and shared with each of us. Glenwood Springs iS,1am sure, a great place and your coworkers will welcome you. It is closer to home than the many places around Colorado that your job required you to travel. So we are happy to know that.
To the members of CRWA, make the time to stop and say hi to Dennis. Thank him for all he did for you and the much more that you don't know he did.
At Colorado Rural Water, we still are trying to deal with this question, how do you say good bye to a friend, and coworker, the likes of Dennis? (Poorly, awkwardly, and distantly, because we can never truly express the respect, awe, and closeness that we have for you, Dennis)
Thanks are never enough, we wish to say God Bless you and your family and we hope that we can stay in touch.