BETTENDORF, Iowa (KWQC) – A Bettendorf High School employee is celebrating a milestone few people ever reach.
Denis Glynn has spent the last 50 years working in nutrition services at Bettendorf High School, becoming a familiar and beloved face to generations of students and staff.
Glynn first started working in the high school kitchen in January of 1976 while he was still a student.
District officials say Glynn was among the first students to graduate from Bettendorf High School’s special education program.
After graduating later that year, he officially joined the district staff and never left.
“After I graduated from high school, in August, I began this job in August. I began the job in January ’76 in high school. I was 21 years old at that time. Now I’m 71,” Glynn said.
Coworkers say Glynn has become a staple inside Bettendorf High School.
Michelle Riessen, the district’s nutrition and wellness manager, says Glynn treats everyone like family.
“Every time I come in, he always asks me personal questions about how everything’s going, and he does that with everyone. He treats everyone in the department like family,” Rieseen said. “It just reminds us that we are all our own little family outside of our home units, and he’s just the glue that keeps us, that binds us together.”
The district will formally recognize Glynn during its employee recognition celebration on June 4.
Despite the milestone, Glynn said he has no plans to retire anytime soon.
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