When Todd Richardson took the podium Saturday night -- after area Republicans honored him as the first member of their party from Butler County to become Speaker of the House -- he did not talk of his accomplishments.
Richardson did not reflect on his hard work, or the challenges he has overcome since taking office as the 152nd district representative in 2010.
The 41-year-old instead spoke to a room filled with his family, friends, neighbors and colleagues at the annual Reagan Days event, and said thank you.
"I've had the opportunity to have a job I've wanted since I was a kid. I endeavored to do the best I could ...," Richardson told the crowd that filled the Holiday Inn ballroom. "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to have the dream of my life."
Richardson thanked the people who were a daily part of his first campaign, recognized those who have served with him at the state and federal level, and recalled the support of friends and family, including his wife, Amber, their two children, his parents, Mark and Kathy Richardson, sister, Megan Richardson, and uncle, Matt Richardson.
"I am not special. I am not special nor is anyone else who gets to do the kinds of things that we get to do. Our government and our leaders ... are ordinary people, doing extraordinary things," Richardson said.
He is proud to be the first Republican Speaker of the House from Butler County, and of the work the legislature has accomplished in the last eight years, he continued.
"Those things didn't happen because I was anything special. They happened because I had a whole lot of people around me willing to help," Richardson said.
He recalled the speech his father gave, when the elder Richardson also left the House because of term limits.
"You know what to do when you start to think you're irreplaceable? Put your fist in a bucket of water, pull it out and watch how quickly the hole fills up. None of us that get the opportunity to engage in public service are permanent occupants of our offices," Richardson continued, later adding, "I can leave confident, knowing we have a system of government, where the hole is going to fill up. People are going to come behind us, as they have done for generations, and they are going to continue this crazy system of government we have."
While Richardson will say little about his future plans -- another run for elected office hasn't been ruled out or in -- the people who came to honor him were clear in their hopes.
"It would be my honor some day to call him my governor or my president," said Hardy Billington, candidate for the 152nd seat in November.
For the sake of the state, this should be only the end of the first chapter of Richardson's public service, according to childhood friend and senior counsel for the House, Richard Moore of Bloomfield.
"We all need leaders like you," Moore said, after reflecting on significant legislation which Richardson helped pass to correct problems with a disability injury fund, that could have left the state in debt for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Missouri could not have handled the problems of the last three years without the kind of leadership provided by Richardson, one of the most independent and strongest speakers, said U.S. Rep. Jason Smith of the Eighth Congressional District. Smith has worked with six of the past seven Republican House speakers.
"There has not been a speaker of the Missouri House that has had to deal with so much garbage," Smith said. "Whether it's a texting scandal or whatever kind of scandal. When he became speaker, it was from an unfortunate situation with a prior speaker. He came into that office with such leadership and such dignity and helped lead the largest Republican majority in the history of this state."
Not many leaders could have helped move the state through the kind of problems seen starting in the past winter, said Peter Kinder, three-time lieutenant governor.
"There were a lot of loyalists to the incumbent governor at the time saying, 'over our dead bodies.' There were a lot of contributors who would be heard from. There were threats made. It was not easy. It took a man of the tall timber, that you sent to Jefferson City from Butler County, to steer our state through," Kinder said, later adding, "This chapter of your public service is coming to a close, but none of us in this room believe this is the last chapter. We expect great things from you in the future."
Sept. 8 was named Todd Richardson Day by Butler County commissioners, among the first to speak during the event. Poplar Bluff Mayor Pro Tem Steve Davis also presented a proclamation on behalf of the city, and a proclamation was sent by Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft.
Other speakers who talked of Richardson's accomplishments included Missouri Treasurer Eric Schmitt, state Sen. Doug Libla and candidate for the 153rd district Jeff Shawan.
Public service matters, Richardson said, toward the end of the evening of speeches.
"We live in a day and age where it is incredibly easy to assume our government institutions are broken beyond repair. That they can't be fixed and that nothing good ever happens," Richardson said. "It's not true ... The only way we're going to continue to see progress, and we're going to continue to see the kind of government we ought to have, is if good people engage in public service."