Last Wednesday, July 5th, over 200 people crowded Gold Rush Park in Downieville to honor Tim Beals for his 50 years of service to Sierra County. Surrounded by Beals’ family, friends, and colleagues, Congressman Kevin Kiley presented a Congressional Resolution honoring his outstanding service. Supervisor Lee Adams also gave a commendation from the U.S. Senate on behalf of Senator Diane Feinstein. Fifty years working anywhere is a historic accomplishment in any regard, but in the small Sierra County, the dedication and impact of Beals' service are almost immeasurable. It is unique for one person to wear so many hats as Tim did in Sierra County, and even more remarkable to manage these various jobs with so much success. Wanting to understand the man behind the legend, we had the opportunity to sit down with Tim in Sierra City to hear his story and learn what drove him to serve this county for so long. Born on February 9th, 1951, Tim grew up in the San Fernando Valley, living in the foothills surrounded by mountains and the Angeles National Forest. He spent every free minute in the woods fishing and hunting. Beals graduated from Crescenta Valley High School in 1969 before heading off to Humboldt State, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in 1973, majoring in Geography and Natural Resources Management as a Presidential Scholar with honors. Tim worked for the US Forest Service for two years while attending Humboldt. In July 1973, Beals came to Sierra Valley, initially working with the USFS. He immediately fell in love with the beauty of Sierra County, so when a job opened up in the Planning and Public Works Department, he applied and was hired as an Engineering Aide III on July 5th, 1973. Over the next four years, he saw four directors come and go. Rather than hiring a 5th person, the Board of Supervisors looked to Tim to take over leadership as the Director of Planning and Transportation. The rest, as we say, is history. From Beals' hiring until his retirement on June 2nd, 2023, he worked through the tenures of five Assessors, seven County Clerks, eleven District Attorneys, seven Sheriffs, four County Treasurers, and thirty members of this Board of Supervisors. Putting Tim’s public service in proper context, he is the most senior of California’s 58 County Planning Directors, and no one in his role has ever served as long. In fact, very few people in the state have dedicated themselves to public service for 50 years. Tim shared that when he went to Sacramento a couple of months ago to fill out his retirement paperwork from CalPERS, the woman behind the glass window looked at his paperwork and told him she would be right back. She returned with the entire staff, astonished at meeting someone that had worked for over 50 years, an accomplishment none of them had come close to witnessing. Over Beals' half-century career, his major leadership roles have included serving as Sierra County’s Director of Transportation, Planning Director, Building Official, and Director of Emergency Services. His professional duties have also included being Executive Director of the County Transportation Commission, Executive Secretary to the County Planning Commission, Executive Officer of the County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), Airport Manager and Secretary and member of the Airport Advisory Commission, Solid Waste System Coordinator and Operations Manager, and Manager of the Sierra Brooks Water System. Beals managed all public works undertaken in Sierra County during this fifty-year career, including any number of public road and bridge projects, county jail renovation, Sheriff’s substation project, Downieville and Sierra City Visitor Centers, Downieville Underground Utility Project, Loyalton Main Street Beautification Project, Loyalton Skate Park, Sierra Brooks Park, Sierra Brooks Water System upgrade, and the Loganville RV Visitor Center. He also volunteered for numerous community efforts and those, including service as Assistant Fire Chief and EMT with the Sierra City Volunteer Fire Department, member of the Sierra County Sheriff’s Dive Team, member of the Western Sierra Medical Clinic Board of Directors, Little League coach, community school soccer volunteer, Downieville Sports Booster Club, high school sports officiating, Downieville School Site Council, and Downieville Parent-Teacher Organization. Asking Tim what he considered his most significant accomplishments, he is most proud of his work helping to open the Kentucky Mine and Museum. In the early 70s, when funding from state bond acts became available at the discretion of the Board of Supervisors, he brought this opportunity to the board. He helped unite a coalition of people and organizations, such as the Sierra County Historical Society, to open the mine for its historical significance and as an attraction for Sierra County. As a mining claim on federal land, it took a lot of negotiating to get control, permits, and to renovate after an explosion years earlier caused the mine to be abandoned. Another project that he highlighted was protecting the Sierra Valley watershed. Farms and ranches were getting bought up just for water rights that would allow precious water from the valley to be diverted toward Reno. Working with the board, landowners, and other officials, they were able to put an end to this and keep the water in the valley. Beals is also proud of his work stretching dollars and leveraging other funding to get work done during the lean and the fat years. Beyond his accomplishments, Tim is proud of the strong staff he has hired and is confident in the transition plan adopted by the board. About 19 years ago, he hired Brandon Pangman, Director of Planning, and Bryan Davey, Director of Transportation and Public Works, leaving the county in experienced hands. His entire staff has nothing but praise for his calm nature, humility, and professionalism. They all echo that he has continually done his job with the utmost integrity, always trying to be fair with everyone, caring deeply about Sierra County with his goal of always looking for the best outcome for the county. He cares about investing in people and has been an excellent mentor to his staff, always making time to answer questions. Tim wasn’t just the guy who sits in an office and orders people around; he was out there often helping get the work done, believing you have to lead by example. He also developed crucial relationships with Caltrans, the USFS, and other agencies and partners statewide, helping Sierra County overcome bureaucratic challenges that plague most counties. As Brandon Pagnman points out, “He holds a lot of institutional memory that just cannot be replaced. He could look at a project, parcel, or house and tell you everything about it.” Looking at the current state and future of Sierra County, Tim commented that he is happy where Sierra County is now, but it is in a very fragile place. He pointed to all of the empty houses and the need to have more people who want to live here and put their kids in the schools. While the western half of the county largely relies on tourism, he feels that the agricultural value of the Sierra Valley is also a big part of the future of Sierra County and that we need to attract more full-time residents, with expanded and consistent broadband being critical to these efforts. So what’s in the future for Tim? He says getting used to not going to work every day has admittedly been an adjustment. He misses the people and friends he worked with, but now he has more time to enjoy being outdoors and spend more time with his wife, Marcia, their sons, T.C. and Mike, and his granddaughters. Mr. Beals, all of Sierra County thanks you for your service and wishes you the best in your retirement!
Beals addresses the crowd at his retirement party in Gold Rush Park
Road sign presented to Beals by the Sierra County Road Crew
Lee Adams awards Beals on behalf of Senator Diane Feinstein
The crowd listens to stories from Beals' friends and colleagues