After 14 years, Onondaga County Parks Commish to Retire

By Tyler King, NCC News
July 29, 2009

SYRACUSE -- Bob Geraci has worked with Onondaga County parks for 31 years. For the past 14, he has held the position of Parks Commissioner. But this fall, that tenure will come to an end. Geraci announced his pending retirement today, but says he leaves the county parks system in an enviable condition:

"We get lots of peer reviews and questions from around the country," he proudly stated, "[asking] how do you do this? How'd you do that? [Saying] my goodness, that's fantastic. And we're well-known in the community of Parks and Recreation Departments."

He also had a simple answer when asked to name his biggest accomplishment as Commissioner.

"Every single park was renovated during these last 14 years," he said, adding "why I'm proud of that is because parks are timeless."

Geraci said that his eventual successor's greatest challenge will be the ever-shrinking budgets for parks; though the department's increasing success in drawing private financing has mitigated that handicap. The next Onondaga County Parks Commissioner has not yet been named; that will be up to County Executive Joanie Mahoney.