The People’s Superintendent Retires

By Journalist Dr. Ms. Jones

NEWBURGH – The Newburgh Activity Center was transformed last Friday, August 22nd into a celebration of legacy, leadership, and love. A crowd of family, friends, co-workers, and community members gathered to surprise Superintendent of Public Works George Garrison with a retirement party one week before he officially ends his 30-year career at the Department of Public Works (DPW).

“I started in 1995. When I started with the city, I started as a Tree Trimmer. I got promoted to Labor Supervisor. Then I got promoted to Superintendent,” said Garrison as he reflected. “I’m gonna miss it… I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’d do it all over again. What I’m gonna miss the most [is] being with everybody all day. I’ve got great men. I’ve got great women.”

Over the course of his career, Garrison became known not just for trimming trees, paving streets, putting new pumps in the sewer, plowing snow in the middle of the night, erecting street signs, keeping Newburgh’s municipal buildings maintained, and building Tyrone Crabb Park and Audrey Carey Park, but for giving people a shot. He hired women for roles historically closed off to them, brought in youth looking for a way forward, and extended opportunities to formerly incarcerated individuals. Eugene Johnson, who served time in federal prison, was Garrison’s Prison Pen Pal and reached out to him from inside through a text app.

“I told him I’m gonna a need a job. He said he’ll try to hold one for me,” said Johnson who works in Sanitation. “I’m very thankful. I tell him all the time… It’s hard to get a job. I did six years.”

That same sentiment echoed throughout the party. Maria Hernandez is one of the women Garrison hired as a Laborer, typically thought of as a “man’s job.” Her responsibilities include various tasks like cutting trees, mixing cement, paving streets, and operating a garbage truck. She is the only woman in her male-dominated field.

“It feels good [to be the only woman]. It feels even better when I work harder than the men,” laughed Hernandez, who has bonded with Garrison after working there for three years. “He is like a dad. He’s a great guy. I’m sad, but I feel like he needs to retire [and] enjoy whatever’s left… I feel like he needs to go and venture and have a lot of adventures for him and his family.”

Co-worker and longtime childhood friend Eddie Burks has known Garrison since junior high school. He says that he has been a leader since they were kids.

“We had wood shop and all those shops in high school and he used to be the Foreman. He turned out to be Superintendent. He always had that potential,” said Burks.

One of the people that helped pull the party together with food, balloons, and posters with photos of him from decades ago was Maritza Wilson who works as a Bilingual Clerk for the City of Newburgh and Event Coordinator for many of the City’s events. She lured him there by telling him that he was picking her up for an early retirement lunch. She has worked side by side with Garrison on community festivals and events for more than 20 years.

“We’ve been through the highs and lows, whether it be personal or working. So, you become family. So, I’m close with him, his sisters, his mom, his extended family, and this is who we spend the majority of our time with. And all the events, we always do them together, because I need him… The selfish part of me just doesn’t want him to leave because he’s my right hand. I don’t feel complete anymore, but I wish him all the best,” said Wilson who explained how the community donated food to make this happen. “The Pizza Shop donated food. Vesuvio’s donated. When the community heard about it, everybody literally came in [and donated].”

As George Garrison steps away from the Department of Public Works, Newburgh reflects on the quiet hero who led without fanfare, built up teams, and gave everyone—ordinary citizens, young workers, women with tools, and men rebuilding their lives—an opportunity to create a better life for themselves and their families. Newburgh bids farewell to Superintendent Garrison—but keeps forever the roots he planted across its streets, parks, and people.