The commission of one city in Whitley County decided to pay respects to the governor's former Chief of Staff, Mike Haydon.

Ky. Gov. Steve Beshear accepted the plaque from the mayor of Corbin for the designation of Haydon as a "Corbin Colonel."

“I can remember when Mike was the mayor of Springfield, and that’s a lively little town,” said Willard McBurney, Corbin Mayor.
“And it wasn’t that way until he was mayor. Mike is going to be a hard fit to replace, so we thought a lot of mike.”

Beshear said it was a tough loss, but he was humbled and pleased to accept the award for Haydon.

“I lost my right arm about a week ago when my Chief of Staff died suddenly,” said Beshear.
“Mike Haydon was not only a great public servant, he was a very close personal friend and we are going to miss him a whole lot.”

Beshear said he did leave an impact behind.

“He left a great legacy and a lot of people here in Corbin that worked with him appreciated his work,” said Beshear, who said he planned on bringing the plaque to Haydon's wife and family.

Haydon served in the government for more than 30 years at the local and state levels. The 62-year-old died unexpectedly on Aug. 12 at his home in Springfield of a heart attack.