Georgetown, Del., July 11, 2006: As one its last acts of the busy 2006 legislative session, the Delaware General Assembly has recognized retiring Sussex County Administrator Robert L. Stickels for his years of public service.

Both chambers of the General Assembly on June 30, the last day of the session, presented Mr. Stickels with tributes for his service as Sussex County Administrator the past 18 years. Mr. Stickels, who will retire Nov. 1, has been County Administrator since 1988, and is the longest-serving chief executive of the Sussex County government since its change from the Levy Court system to the current County Council form in the early 1970s. th

The Senate presented Mr. Stickels with a tribute stamped with the Delaware Senate’s seal, and signed by President Pro Tempore Thurman Adams Jr. It was also signed by Sussex County Sens. George H. Bunting, F. Gary Simpson and Robert L. Venables.

“He has served ably and well in one of the most difficult and demanding jobs in the state of Delaware. Bob’s tenure has come at a time of dramatic and unprecedented growth in Delaware’s southernmost county. He has had the difficult and challenging job of directing the efforts of Sussex County’s governmental apparatus and seeking a balance between those who have sought full-scale development and those who have sought to pursue a go-slow approach,” the Senate tribute reads. “… Throughout his years of service, he has conducted himself with his characteristic sense of humor and grace under pressure.”

The House of Representatives, meanwhile, presented Mr. Stickels with a similar tribute, this one signed by all 41 members of the chamber, including local Reps. John C. Atkins, Joseph W. Booth, V. George Carey, J. Benjamin Ewing, Tina Fallon, Gerald W. Hocker, Clifford G. “Biff” Lee and Peter C. Schwartzkopf.

“He has encouraged and supported comprehensive sewer planning studies, worked with the County Council in the adoption of a Coastal Land Use Plan and has worked to establish a countywide paramedic program,” the House of Representatives’ tribute reads. The document closes with “Best wishes for future success and happiness!”

Mr. Stickels was appreciative of the tributes, and thanked members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives for their kind words.

“It’s the nicest thing anybody has every said about me on June 30,” Mr. Stickels said with a grin, referencing the many years he spent in Dover on the last day of legislative sessions, sometimes irritating lawmakers with requests for Sussex County’s constituents. “But all kidding aside, I know these honors are truly heartfelt. I have enjoyed working with both chambers of the General Assembly over the years for the betterment of Sussex County. And we’ve always been able to put aside partisan politics.” th

“I’ll miss the camaraderie,” Mr. Stickels added. “These honors, though, will always remind me of the relationships I forged with lawmakers, the work we accomplished and the many good times we shared.”