Mike Kuykendall became Cottonwood’s Fire Chief in 2012, after having first joined the Cottonwood Fire Department in 1987 as a volunteer and joining full-time in 1989.
In 2015, when he became eligible for Arizona’s retirement system, Kuykendall entered the Delayed Retirement Option Program, giving him up to five more years to stay on as chief before retiring. Those five years expire in October, and Kuykendall is retiring from the force to spend time with his family in Prescott Valley, where he grew up. “There’s always a certain amount of apprehension about leaving.... [but] it’s the right time to retire.” Kuykendall said. “It’s been a privilege and an honor to serve the citizens of Cottonwood and the Verde Valley as a whole for all these years I’ve been here in the fire service.”