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📣 Fire Chief Tommy Mayville announced his retirement after 43 years of service to the Niceville Fire Department, effective July 17.
📚 Library Director Sheila Bishop, who began working with the city as a teenager, will retire on September 25 after more than 50 years.
🏛️ The retirements mark a shift in leadership, as only one long-serving department head from the former city manager’s era will remain.
After 43 years at the City of Niceville – Fire Chief Tommy Mayville announced he will retire on July 17. Library Director Sheila Bishop, a 50+ year employee of the city, announced she will end her career with the city as well on September 25, 2025.
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Former Niceville City Manager Lannie Corbin hired Library Director Sheila Bishop to help run the new Niceville Library program when she was still in her teens.
She soon proved herself as a city employee and began to move up the ranks.
“I will tell you it has been a privilege and an honor to serve the city of Niceville,” Bishop said.
She also announced her successor, Jess Longoria. Longoria has served with the city’s library for five years.
Her retirement in September will mark the end of an era – as many of the department heads hired by former City Manager Corbin who had more than 20 years experience with the city will have moved on. Public Works Director Jonathon Laird will be the only remaining veteran with significant experience in a department head capacity. Corbin hired Laird about two decades ago.
There is no immediate word on who will replace Mayville after almost a half-century of service.
Chief Mayville grew up in Valparaiso and joined the fire service after high school.
Mayville’s Children, Grandchildren, and other family members were at the ceremony to celebrate his impending retirement from the fire service.
“I’ve enjoyed it, but I go to a lot of people for support, and that number one I go to is a drop to my knees. I pray to the good Lord, and I ask for advice, and he gives me all the advice I need. And I’m not saying prayer, I’m acknowledging my Lord and Savior for keeping me safe 43 years,” Mayville said to the Niceville City Council and the members of the public at Tuesday’s City Council Meeting.
Mayville also thanked his wife with a bouquet for her sacrifices while he served the City’s residents. “for 43 years, I’ve had a lot of people I went to, but she was the one I always woke up in the middle of the night with pager for 43 years, she answered the call as well as I did, and she was that person I came home to and had a bad call, and I had to squeeze her,” he said.
Chief Mayville leaves the department in a much different place than he found it. When Mayville began his career at the fire department, the unit had many volunteers on the roster. According to the City, there are no more volunteers on the rolls – the department is a fully professional staff.
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In the last ten years, the fire department absorbed the Valparaiso Fire Department, although that may soon end. The City also plans to start a second fire station in the Deer Moss Creek neighborhood.
Mayville’s emphasis on improving the Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS) for the department has resulted in the current fire department staff earning additional certifications.
