Discipline is a skill that has been instilled in Reginald “Reggie” Demby, 59, throughout his career — from football player to Marine to his current role as an equipment operator lead with the Douglas County Public Works Department.

All require teamwork, but more importantly, discipline, he said. 

“Learning the plays, learning your navigations, learning your job, learning your weapon — how to break it down and put it back together. It’s discipline, discipline, discipline,” he said. “It takes discipline to get up every morning and go to work, get up and go to practice — and in the military, obviously.”

“You are also going to come across people who aren’t going to agree with you, and it takes discipline not to lash out.”

Demby said his late father, Richard “RJ” Demby, modeled that behavior, and he has carried it with him throughout his career.
That discipline is evident to those who work alongside him at Public Works. 

“Reggie always comes in early and with a great attitude to start the day,” Operations Manager Robert Hughes said. “He’s always willing to stay late or come in on an emergency callback.”

Demby is among 52 county employees who will be recognized during Operation Green Light Week, Nov. 4-11, for their military service.

Lessons from the gridiron and military

Demby was born in Mississippi and grew up in Lawrence, where his family moved in 1969. He graduated from Lawrence High School, where he played football as a running back. The team won the state championship his senior year in 1985.

“I loved it,” he said with a big smile. “It was awesome and a lot of fun. I learned a lot and matured a lot.” 

He played football for Kansas State University for one year as a running back, kickoff returner, linebacker and nose guard. When the head coach left and an interim coach was hired, Demby said they “didn’t see eye to eye, and I thought I knew better than him.”
Demby decided to leave college. 

“Then, I was doing silly stuff and getting into trouble. I started going down the wrong road,” Demby said. “My dad sat me down and said I needed to find a job.”

He decided to enter the Army. But one afternoon in 1986, while watching television with his parents, he saw a commercial: 

The Few. The Proud. The Marines.

“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I want that uniform,’” he said.

He called his recruiter the next day, and they were able to transfer his paperwork.

On Nov. 10, 1986 — the Marine Corps’ birthday — he started boot camp in San Diego at age 19.

He recalled those early days of boot camp: no sleep, a shaven head, uniforms issued and writing a will. The first and last words always spoken were “sir.” 

“It was constant yelling, yelling, yelling,” he said. “Once you go through it and you look back, you realize it was preparing you for battle.”

He served four years in the Marines, primarily as a refueler, often working at night. 

“Your main responsibility is getting the fuel into where it needs to be and making sure your base is protected,” he said. 

Like football, it requires teamwork, but the stakes are higher. Even in peacetime or training, injuries and death occur, Demby said.

“There’s unity and camaraderie among the guys,” he said. “You can be duking it out one minute, and the next minute you’ve got his back. You are carrying his gear because he’s injured or needs help. It was a lot of love and hate, but more love.”
Demby left the military in 1990.

During the next two decades, he worked various jobs, including on the City of Lawrence’s sanitation crew, as a corrections officer for the Sheriff’s Office and as a semi-truck driver.

Finding his path in Public Works

In 2010, he joined Douglas County Public Works as a temporary full-time laborer on the asphalt crew. Within a few months, he was hired into a permanent position.

Since then, Demby has served on the parks, bridge and rock road crews helping to maintain the county’s 224 miles of roads, 158 bridges, 1,100 culverts and seven park sites.

Public Works Director Chad Voigt said Demby operates heavy equipment, trucks and graders and is part of the snow removal team. This month, he received a promotion to equipment operator lead, now helping to supervise and train employees.

“Reggie always puts a smile on my face,” Voigt said. “He’s got a positive attitude, and we’re lucky to work with him.”

Hughes said Reggie was selected for the promotion because of his ability to operate a variety of equipment, his experience and positive attitude.

“He’s always willing to go the extra mile with a smile,” Hughes said. 

Demby said he appreciates the technology and equipment that he works with compared to what was available decades ago when his father worked in a similar position for the City of Lawrence.

His favorite equipment is a bulldozer and a motor grader that is used for leveling and shaping roads. He described it by mimicking the motion of the machine with his hands and the sound with his voice, showing his enthusiasm for the work.

He also enjoys operating an excavator, which features a cab, boom, arm and bucket used for digging, lifting and moving materials.

“It’s a powerful piece of equipment,” he said.

Demby loves clearing roads during snowstorms.

“It’s a blast. I hope we get a lot of snow, but not the ice,” he said with a grin. “It brings out the child in me. I’m like a big kid.”

He said the job can be difficult during the day because of traffic and at night because some residents like to take a joy ride in the snow. Occasionally, drivers shine their bright lights at plow trucks, making visibility dangerous.

“The plow lights are on top of the truck and shine down on the plows,” he explained. “Sometimes, people think the trucks are shining brights at them, so they shine back — but that’s not the case.”

Demby will often have a wreath on his truck and sometimes will wear a Santa hat to work during the holidays, bringing joy to the workplace.

Demby’s journey has included significant hardships. After a divorce, he experienced homelessness and lived in his truck for a few years. In 2015, he lost his son in a drowning accident in Hawaii, and he now has a tattoo in his son’s memory. He said those difficult times — along with his faith — shape the gratitude he carries into his work today.

Demby takes pride in the work that he and his colleagues at Public Works accomplish. Preparation, he said, is essential during storms. Crews make sure trucks and equipment are ready days before a winter storm hits, then they work throughout the event until the roads are clear. He described the department’s mechanics as top-notch.

“We’ve got a great group,” he said. “I’m proud of the work we do, and I’m grateful to be part of it.”