State Association of Township Supervisors: Garbrick Wins Association’s Leadership Award

William E. “Bill” Garbrick Sr., at right, a supervisor for Lamar Township, receives the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors’ 28th Annual President’s Leadership Award from PSATS President Shirl Barnhart.
William E. “Bill” Garbrick Sr., at right, a supervisor for Lamar Township, receives the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors’ 28th Annual President’s Leadership Award from PSATS President Shirl Barnhart.

HERSHEY – William E. “Bill” Garbrick Sr., a supervisor for Lamar Township received the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors’ 28th Annual President’s Leadership Award Monday at the association’s 95th Annual Educational Conference and Trade Show in Hershey.

Each year, the association presents the award, established in 1990, to a township supervisor and a township administrator, such as a secretary or manager, whose outstanding projects or programs have benefited their communities.

Garbrick, a supervisor for more than 33 years and the board’s vice chairman, is the first Clinton County official to receive the award, one of the highest honors that PSATS bestows. He also serves as the township’s roadmaster and emergency management coordinator.

A model of leadership and public service, Garbrick has been the driving force behind a number of public safety, recreation, historic preservation, and infrastructure projects that have enhanced the community.
“Bill Garbrick personifies the definition of township supervisor, and I can say without hesitation that he is a keystone for Lamar Township,” Rep. Mike Hanna said. “All elected officials, including myself, should strive to serve the community like Bill has done for so many years.”

Bill always takes a hands-on approach to community development, working with and welcoming new interests while continuing to ensure that the best interests of the township are protected,” Michael Flanagan, president and CEO of the Clinton County Economic Partnership added. “We are grateful for his knowledge, his leadership, and his partnership.”

In addition to being a founding member and long-time chief of the local volunteer fire company, Garbrick has worked with the state to fix a deadly intersection; secured $130,000 in grants to improve the township’s dirt and gravel roads; returned a forgotten two-room school to its former use, giving generations of Amish children a place to learn and grow; and spearheaded the development of Long Run Park, which Hanna called “the recreational jewel of the township.”

The supervisor’s dedication to the township where he was born and raised is evident in his many selfless acts.

“Bill helped to build the Lamar Township Volunteer Fire Company from the ground up, from preparing the site to pouring the concrete and laying the bricks,” township secretary Amy Yost said. “He even mortgaged his home to purchase the first fire engine for the fire company.”

During the development of Long Run Park, Garbrick donated many hours to run water lines, install the septic system, pour concrete for pavilions, and put playground equipment together – by hand, Yost said. Currently, he is overseeing the celebration of the township’s 200th anniversary.

Garbrick and his wife, Judy, have been married 56 years and have two children, five grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

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