FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – The City of Farmington Hills’ longest-serving employee, Jim Cubera, is retiring at the end of the month, after 48 years of service.
“Before there were computers or cell phones in Farmington Hills City Hall, there was Jim Cubera, the City engineer who started his career in May 1977,” the city said in a release.
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Now, as he prepares to retire at the end of August, the city is highlighting his career.
A few days before graduating from the University of Detroit with a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree, Cubera began working for Farmington Hills. He started his career less than four years after the city was incorporated.
Throughout the years, he became a licensed professional engineer, earned his Master of Business Administration, and earned several awards for his civil engineering and public service work.
“When I started in 1977 there were still cornfields, many of the roads were gravel and much of the property was vacant fields,” said Jim Cubera. “When I think of my career, I remember my first road design, Hills Tech Drive between Haggerty and Halstead Roads. I was really proud of converting that road to concrete pavement and except for some slab replacements that road pavement still exists today!”
The city said it has received several industry awards for infrastructure projects that Cubera worked on.
“Most people in the City have likely never heard Jim’s name but they have definitely benefitted from his exceptional work over the past 48 years designing sidewalks, sewer systems, roads and more,” said Farmington Hills City Manager Gary Mekjian. “We will miss Jim when he retires, but his legacy of excellence in public service will continue.”
Some of his projects include the Twelve Mile Road boulevard, the Halsted Road drainage solution and the Drake Road paving project.
Cubera said that much of success is thanks to his hardworking colleagues in the Farmington Hills Department of Public Works and the support of his wife, Mary K, their three children and five grandchildren.
There was a formal proclamation honoring Cubera’s career at the city council meeting on Aug. 11.
You can learn more about Cubera’s career with the city in the video below: