Gary Stachowicz (right) with former City Forester Bob Batt after receiving the ISA Professional Service Award. Courtesy | Facebook

After 17 years of service to the City of Hillsdale, City Forester Gary Stachowicz has retired.

Angie Girdham, Hillsdale College horticulturist, said she has worked closely with Stachowicz over the years.

“Gary is incredibly knowledgeable and cared deeply for the wellbeing of the Hillsdale tree canopy,” Girdham said. “Hillsdale couldn’t have asked for a more dedicated city forester.  He will certainly be missed by myself and many others.”

Stachowicz built his career in the Midwest for the United States Forest Service, then became the city’s forester in 2006. He retired from the city on Jan. 27.

A few days before his official retirement, the Michigan Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture honored him with its professional service award, recognizing his years of service to the city and to general forestry in the Midwest.

“I was quite taken aback about how much I was noticed by certain people for the things I had done,” Stachowicz said. “I guess it kind of goes with what they say: somebody’s always watching, and I guess the right people were watching and thought enough of me to nominate me for the award. I feel quite privileged and honored to have gotten it, to be honest with you.”

Kevin Sayers, the Michigan Urban and Community Forestry program manager, nominated Stachowicz for the award.

“Gary has been an outstanding representative for the City of Hillsdale and the profession of urban and community forestry,” Sayers said. “His dedication and passion for learning and sharing all he knows about trees, their care and management, is evident through his actions to improve the city’s urban forest and the quality of life for its citizens.”

Sayers said he and Stachowicz have worked together often in their respective jobs.

“Through Gary’s long-term and expert commitment to being a leader and manager for the city’s urban forests, it has helped the state achieve its goal of building healthy, resilient and sustainable urban forests for Michigan’s citizens,” Sayers said. “Beyond the simple beauty and benefits from the trees he’s planted, I think his legacy will be reflected in the greater appreciation and importance of his work and his smiling, personable, and professional attitude.”

Without the people in Hillsdale he worked alongside, Stachowicz said, he would not have been able to accomplish what he did.

“Even though my name is on that award and geared toward me as a tree professional, I’d like to think that those guys had a minor hand and I think it’s partly their award too. You can’t go it alone,” Stachowicz said. “When there are people helping you, I’m the kind of person that would rather throw some of the accolades out to the people I feel shared in the responsibility in me getting such an award.”

Stachowicz said he found the time he spent working for the city fulfilling.

“I think overall the city treated me well, and I tried to do the same for the city,” Stachowicz said. “I had never done city tree work before for any municipality until I came to Hillsdale and I found that it served me well. And I’d like to think that I served the community well in my 17 years there. So it was a very positive experience.”

Stachowicz said some people retire to escape  a bad situation, but that was not the case for him.

“It’s quite emotional to leave,” he said. “I don’t think you’re going to find too many people that retire going out on top of things and enjoying the people they worked with and the employer. A lot of people leave because they just don’t like doing what they do anymore. But that wasn’t the case for me. I rather enjoyed what I did and the people I worked with.”

He’s looking forward to retirement, though, and plans on using his time to travel, fish, hunt, camp, and spend time with family.

“Luckily I still have my health. I’m in pretty good shape, and I wanted to retire while I still have some good years left in me so I can just pretty much do whatever I want, whenever I want,” Stachowicz said. “I’m not on any timeframe anymore. So now when I wake up at four o’clock in the morning, I can just roll over and go back to bed.”