Mac Andrew, county engineer and director of Johnson County Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, is heading down on the road of retirement after a dozen years, ending a public works career spanning 45 years in the Kansas City metropolitan region.

A reception in his honor is scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday, September 28, at the Johnson County Public Works Complex, 1800 West U.S. 56 Highway, Olathe. His retirement becomes effective on Monday, October 1.

“Mac Andrew has long been a driving force behind many public works and vital  infrastructure projects that are fundamental to our continued development and future prosperity. He leaves large shoes that will be hard to fill,” Ed Eilert, Chairman of the Johnson County Board of Commissioners, said.

“On behalf of Johnson County Government and the Johnson County community, we thank Mac for his many years of dedicated service, locally and regionally, and wish him only the best as he moves beyond this important crossroads in his life.”

County Manager Hannes Zacharias agreed.

“Mac has always put Johnson County first; a quality we have all observed and appreciated during his time with us,” he said.  “I will miss Mac as an individual, as an extremely valuable caring employee, and an honorable public servant.  I also wish him a long, happy retirement and hope he will enjoy whatever life has to offer him, which probably means more time to putter around on the golf course and play at the lake.”

After graduation in 1968 from the University of Missouri at Rolla with a B.S. degree in civil engineering, Andrew worked for Kansas City, Mo. in a variety of roles in both the public works department and in the water services department for approximately 28 years. In 1995, he became director of the Jackson County Public Works Department.

Andrew joined Johnson County in July of 2000 as director of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure. He assumed the duties of County Engineer in 2006 upon the retirement of longtime employee and former county engineer Norm Bowers.

During his career, Andrew has served on several transportation committees of the Mid-America Regional Council and has long been active in the Kansas City Metro Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA), including serving as chapter president in 1998, co-chairman of the APWA Mid America Conference in 1995 and 1998, and as chairman of numerous chapter committees.

He received an APWA Life Membership in 1998, was selected  Top Ten Public Works Leader of the Year for 2004 by International Public Works Association, and was named recipient of the  metro chapter’s “Ken Cardwell Heart of America Award” in 2009.

Outside his public leadership contributions, Andrew has been a willing participant in the county’s annual Feed the Need campaigns, serving as the 2002 chairman when more than 100 tons of donations to support local food pantries was raised.

“The county will miss Mac’s enthusiasm, leadership, and sense of humor,” Zacharias said. “We will especially miss him on the annual Feed the Need dunk tank where he always made a big splash, in fact a lot of splashes, for a good cause.”

More information is available by contacting the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure at (913) 715-8300.