Friends reflect on decades working for City of Whitefish as both retire

Jun. 14—Sitting at a picnic table in Depot Park with two friends, one a soon-to-be-retired city accountant and the other, a newly-retired legal assistant, is a special treat. Few places see so much laughter and high spirits.

Whitefish City Accountant Vanice Woodbeck will retire in July. In her 27 years with the city, she has seen five city managers and is currently working with her sixth finance director.

She started out as a customer service clerk, then was the city clerk before becoming the city accountant. She said her job involves doing the payroll, helping the finance director and covering the front desk, as well. A little bit of everything, as she put it, but she is perhaps best known for doing the payroll.

"The joke in the office is, every two weeks everybody likes me," she said smiling. "The other two weeks I see nobody."

Woodbeck was born and raised in Whitefish and her parents were raised in the area, too. Her dad worked with the Whitefish Fire Department for 20 years and her grandmother, Ida Hunnewell, used to write for the Whitefish Pilot.

After spending some time on the east side of the mountains, she returned to Whitefish and soon began her job with the city. The insurance and benefits the job provided helped with her struggles as a single parent with two children.

There was also some comfort in the fact that the city clerk at the time, Kay Beller, was a close family friend. She said she was thankful for the job.

"I just love it," she said. "I like to watch out for the citizens. They're the ones who pay our wage and it's very important to watch out for them at all times. I enjoyed doing that and keeping my ears and eyes open."

She's always liked accounting and said she loved her job for the work and for the people she grew to know.

"I'm going to miss the people I work with and just being able to visit with people throughout the day," Woodbeck said, then, like a true accountant added, "Having a stack of papers to do on my desk excites me. I'm going to miss it tremendously when I leave."

In 2005, Keni Hopkins joined the city as its legal assistant. She had been with Hedman, Hileman and Lacosta and when it was decided to bring the city attorney into city hall, she made the move, too.

Hopkins retired this May after 18 years of serving Whitefish. She joked that when she was the "new kid" in the city government, Woodbeck was nice to her. They have since become great friends who are able to share a good ribbing from time to time.

"Vanice is very popular because she pays people," Hopkins said of the good-natured Woodbeck. "Vanice used to have to plan her vacations around payroll because she was the only one who knew how to do it."

Hopkins' roots run deep in this area, too.

"When we moved to Columbia Falls, I was in sixth grade and we'd already lived in eight towns," she said, noting that her parents still live just a mile from her childhood home. "Then I moved to Alaska for 22 years. My husband and I met on the north slope at the beginning of the pipeline."

When they returned to Columbia Falls, their son was eight years old. He graduated from Columbia Falls High School, like his mother had, and is currently working on his doctorate degree in Pullman, Washington.

Hopkins said when she got her job as the city's legal assistant, there was very little job turnover in the city and it was often two or three years before an employment opportunity opened, so she felt fortunate.

"I really liked my job. I liked the people and I really liked what I did," Hopkins said. "It really depended who the attorney was that I was working for... their style and how independent they were (determined) what my responsibilities were."

She said she has liked working for Whitefish City Attorney Angela Jacobs.

"She's so smart and she doesn't procrastinate and she can make a decision just like that, so working for her has really been a blessing," she said. "She's so uncritical, patient and wants to help you learn."

Woodbeck agreed with Hopkins and echoed her friend's thoughts regarding their coworkers.

"I've had good bosses throughout the years, too," Woodbeck agreed. "But like she said, everybody works differently, so then you have to adjust to their work (styles)."

When she became the city accountant, Whitefish City Manager Dana Smith became her boss.

"For somebody that age to know and comprehend everything — she amazes me," Woodbeck said.

The two laughed about changes they've seen in office equipment and technology, too.

"Payroll went from paper time cards to electronic. When I first started, our printer was this big machine, about as long as this," Woodbeck said, gesturing to the length of the picnic table. "It was old school."

"We used carbon paper!" Hopkins added enthusiastically.

The friends then directed their attention to the changes they've seen in town and how their families have been affected.

"The growth of the city is unreal, especially being born and raised here," Woodbeck said. "Low-income housing is another thing I'm concerned about. My kids had to move away because they couldn't afford anything here."

Now, Woodbeck is concerned that her parents, who bought their house on Columbia Avenue years ago, might be next to move.

"Growth is growth, unfortunately, but it's a big pill to swallow," she said. "Whether we're frustrated with the city or how it's grown, we still love it. This is our hometown and I'm hoping they can stay in their house. They've been there almost 60 years."

With the high cost of housing across the country, Hopkins' son told her he doesn't think he will ever be able to afford a house.

Soon, the mood rebounds as the two imagine being retired and having time to spend with family.

"I'll get to spend more time with my parents and go visit my son in North Carolina," Woodbeck said. "And get to see more of my grandkids; they are in Columbia Falls."

Likewise, Hopkins is planning on visiting her son and spending time with her husband, riding their horses. They volunteer with the Backcountry Horsemen, an organization her father helped create.

There was one more thing the two agreed on wholeheartedly — no more alarm clocks.

"My favorite thing about retirement is — no alarms," Hopkins said. "I get to wake up at 7:30 now or whenever. It's just so cool."

"I can't wait either," Woodbeck chimed in.

While the two will no longer spend time together at work, the friends say they plan to meet up for lunch at least once a month.