BEAUMONT, Texas — A man who's spent over a decade servicing Jefferson County through times of crisis, is retiring.
Emergency Management Coordinator Mike White is calling it quits after 15 years.
He says guiding his community through crisis after crisis, was the most important thing he's ever done.
"It's a job I really loved. It was hard to call it quits you know those are your friends out there, so, you do your best for 'em," White said.
White says down here in Southeast Texas where natural disasters are common, his job is extremely important.
It's a job that most people would shy away from, but after 22 years in the military, White became familiar with chaos.
"Tour in Iraq and stuff like that. Honestly every disaster we've had here is easily equal to that," White said.
Southeast Texas kept him busy, with each disaster offering something different.
"There's something that happens that there's no way you can plan for. One of the other adjacent counties 911 systems went down, we literally tracked every 911 call down the hallway on butcher block paper," White said.
White dealt with hurricanes, plant explosions and most recently the COVID-19 pandemic, which was extremely difficult for emergency management.
He helped bring together five counties to work as one team and even organized a regional infusion center for the severely ill.
"Who knows how many lives, I mean way more than anything, than all the hurricanes, and TPC and everything combined," White said.
On Tuesday, December 13, 2022, White's friends stepped up to say thank you with a special retirement party.
"Their agency and our agency has been through a lot of disasters together, just can't thank him enough for everything he's done for the community," said DPS Lieutenant Chuck Havard.
Deputy Director Robert Grimm will take over after White retires on December 31, 2022.
"His desire to want to be successful to try and make sure that the people of Jefferson County are looked out for, and that we do the very best that we can," Grimm said.
White fought for his country and built a family, but White says nothing compares to serving his community.
"This is the most important thing I've ever done in my life period. Period," White said.
White and his wife Corinna have plans to move to central Texas, where he hopes to spend more time fishing, which he loves.
He also looks forward to spending more time being a grandfather, which he also loves dearly.
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and organized a regional infusion center -- for the severely ill.
"who knows how many lives, i mean way more than anything, than all the hurricanes, and tpc's, and everything combined."
"man we were saving lives, baptist hospital, st. e's, riceland, man everybody stepped up."
<transition to his retirement party>
tuesday night -- his friends stepped up to say thank you.
<lt. chuck havard, dps>
"their agency and our agency has been through a lot of disasters together, just can't thank him enough for everything he's done for the community. "
<robert grimm, deputy director, jeff co. emergency management>
"his desire to want to be successful to try and make sure that the people of jefferson county are looked out for, and that we do the very best that we can."
he fought for his country, and built a family...
but white says nothing compares to serving his community.
<mike white>
"this is the most important thing i've ever done in my life period. period."
mike and his wife corinna have plans to move to central texas --
he plans to spend more time fishing -- which he loves.
and also more time being a grandfather -- which he loves as well.
live in beaumont -- cameron sibert 12 news.