After 18 years with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, Mary Ann Payne said goodbye to her co-workers and friends.

During a special ceremony Friday honoring her retirement, the administrative specialist was presented with a plaque and roses in appreciation for her service to the agency.

Payne, who has worked in several divisions of the sheriff’s office, said she spent her first day on the job sitting on the floor in the Forsyth County Detention Center stacking documents and figuring out what files were needed.

“In 18 years it has really changed a lot,” she said. “We didn’t even have computers when I started.”

Payne said she and her husband, Hugh, would eventually like to travel, but they don’t have any big plans yet.

Sheriff’s Lt. Col. D. T. Smith noted that Payne’s supervisors had commended her for being energetic on the job, motivating her fellow employees and for her willingness to take on a heavy workload, among other positive traits.