DON MINGS (Jun 1953)

Don Mings attended Roosevelt High School from 1948 – 1953.  During that time, he earned several letters in football, basketball, baseball and track, as well as being the president oif the Letterman’s Club.  After graduation, he attended the University of Missouri for one year and then joined the Army to serve his country.  Upon discharge, he enrolled in Southeast Missouri State College, played football and earned a B.S. degree.  He earned his M.S. from Indiana University.  Following graduation, he taught history at RHS for one year and at Salem and Kokomo, Indiana.  He left teaching to work for the Social Security Administration.

Don rose to the position of Regional Commissioner for Kansas City, then San Francisco and lastly, Seattle.  He was invited into the Senior Executive Service, selected from all federal employees, for the last fourteen years of his thirty-six year career with the government.  Don provided management and direction to over 54,000 Social Security Administration employees and 10,000 state employees.  Don was a mediator and was Management’s Deputy Chief Negotiator for the first Social Security national labor contract with the American Federation of Government Employees.

In 1988, Don was one of five executives selected to spend a month in China to assist the Chinese Government in setting up their own Social Security system.  This was just one of many honors and awards he received for outstanding service and leadership.

Don was elected chair of the Federal Executive Board in San Francisco and again in Seattle. As the chairman, he also headed up the combined federal campaign (United Way) for many years.  He also was on the board of directors for the Bellevue, Washington Rotary Club, served on the board for the Summit Owners’ Association and was the chairman of architectural control for several years.

DOB: Jul 29, 1935 St. Louis, MO DOD: Mar 03, 2012 Bellevue, WA Age 76