Valdese’s newly elected mayor Keith Huffman stands by a decorated wagon wheel on the wall inside Buckles & Brew in downtown Valdese.
Keith Huffman spent 20 years in the U.S. Air Force and 22 years working for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), careers he said shaped him and instilled the value of integrity — but there is more to the new mayor of Valdese.
In the summer, the 64-year-old newly elected mayor is often outside doing yard work and tending his raised bed garden full of lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and other things of the like.
“I call it dirt therapy,” Huffman said.
Huffman also loves traveling and spending time with his family, which includes three dogs, one son, three grandchildren, and a wife who brings a smile to his face any time he speaks of her.
The Morganton native settled in Valdese in 2018 for its small-town feel and shorter commute to work. Plus, the town has a number of amenities within a five-minute drive, including Valdese Lakeside Park, Old Rock School, places of worship, and festivals.
“All this is within, and you don’t have to drive a great distance,” Huffman said. “You’re nestled in the middle of these two larger municipalities (Hickory and Morganton), and Valdese just has a lot going for it, and we can do better.”
Rewinding a few decades, Huffman said he signed up for a delayed entry into the Air Force before he even graduated high school. Shortly after graduating from Freedom High in 1979, he was off to basic training.
Huffman entered the Air Force for several reasons. For one, his father had been in the U.S. Army and his uncle had been in the Air Force. For another, he wanted a college education but lacked the funds. The Air Force covered 75% of Huffman’s tuition for a degree in organizational management and a degree in information systems management.
Huffman said his parents emphasized the importance of education.
“My dad died before I was able (to get a college education),” Huffman said. “He died when I was 23 years old, but that was one thing that he stressed. ‘Go get your education.’ And I did.”
Huffman said his father only had an eighth-grade education. His mother only had a 10th grade education.
In the Air Force, Huffman said he worked as an administrator, climbing the career ladder until he was working with three- and four-star generals.
“When I got introduced to the intelligence world at Denver, Colorado, we went up there to start up what was then a National Guard base,” Huffman said, adding that he was part of laying the framework for what is now the Buckley Space Force Base.
After his Air Force career, Huffman applied for an administrative officer position with HUD, which later morphed into a position as a management analyst working with the inspector general’s office.
Huffman said he took an interest in how audits worked, and was involved in investigating fraud, waste, and abuse of HUD funding by local recipients.
For years, Huffman worked for HUD in Atlanta. He later worked for the Greensboro field office. Now, he’s been retired for four years.
Reflecting on his life, Huffman recalled several pieces of advice that guided him.
“I guess it depends on what part of my lifespan that covers,” Huffman said.
Huffman said his father told him early on, “Can’t never could do anything,” which meant to remove the word “can’t” from his vocabulary.
“My dad would also say, ‘Whatever you do, be the best at what you do.’ Maybe a little cliche, but it’s still meaningful,” Huffman said. “Whatever you do in life, be the best at what you do.”
Mica Banks is the County Government reporter for The Paper. She can be reached at 828-445-8595 or mica@thepaper.media.
