Treasurer Reminds Veterans to File Discharge Documents Locally Treasurer Stacy Garrity and James M. Zugay, Recorder of Deeds in Dauphin County and President of the Pennsylvania Recorders of Deeds Association (PRODA), today reminded Pennsylvania veterans to register their military discharge paperwork with their local recorder of deeds office. “Military discharge papers are crucial documents for veterans to keep, and Recorder of Deed offices can provide easy access to official copies if the originals get misplaced or lost,” said Treasurer Garrity, a retired U.S. Army Reserve Colonel. “It’s important that my fellow veterans know about and understand the importance of this great resource, and I urge them all to make sure they have their paperwork on file with their county’s recorder of deeds.” “Recorders are proud to serve as a custodian of DD214s for our veterans who have honorably served our country,” said Zugay. “We have recorded thousands of these documents, but our hope is spread the word that recording these documents in our office is a way to preserve them in a safe and confidential way if they are needed for any reason in the future.” Recorders are required by Pennsylvania law to accept and maintain military discharge papers from veterans. This is the only document protected as private – DD214s are not public record. If a veteran or their family loses the original paperwork, or it is lost due to a flood, fire or other natural disaster, certified copies can be obtained from the Recorder of Deeds office where the documents were stored. Without this county-level process, veterans would be forced to go through the federal government to receive replacement documents, which can be a cumbersome process. To have military discharge papers recorded, veterans will need to provide their DD214 or NGB22 and, in some cases, a valid photo I.D. Veterans should contact their county Recorder of Deeds to ensure proper documentation. There is no fee associated with recording military discharge papers. “I hope all veterans will take some time to register their discharge papers with their local county Recorder of Deeds,” Garrity said. “It’s a great service that can make things much easier in the future if their original documents get misplaced or destroyed.” Recorders of Deeds have had the authority in Pennsylvania to collect military discharge papers since 1868. To find your county recorder of deeds, visit PRODA’s website at padeeds.com/county-officials.
Treasurer Garrity Announces New Chief Investment Officer Treasurer Stacy Garrity today announced that Thomas J. Waters, former Vice President of Corporate Finance with Armstrong World Industries in Lancaster, is joining her senior staff as Treasury’s new Chief Investment Officer (CIO). “I’m extremely confident in Tom’s ability to lead our investment staff, and I’m pleased to welcome him to Treasury as our new CIO,” Garrity said. “Treasury’s CIO plays a crucial role in making sure that state dollars are invested soundly and prudently, and Tom’s experience and leadership will serve taxpayers well. He also has a proven track record of successful mentoring and team building. I look forward to working with him.” Most recently at Armstrong World Industries, Waters directed Armstrong’s treasury and investor relations functions. During his more than two decades with Armstrong, he held a variety of operational and corporate finance roles. Waters also served as the President of TJW Advisory and has held positions with American Airlines, Shearson Lehman Brothers, and E.F. Hutton. Waters, who will start at Treasury in September, earned his bachelor’s degrees in economics and history from Binghamton University and an MBA in finance from the University of California, Berkeley. “I’m thrilled to join the team at the Pennsylvania Treasury and work alongside Treasurer Garrity and her staff,” Waters said. “I will work every day to ensure the best possible investment outcomes for Pennsylvania taxpayers. Managing the state’s assets responsibly and with the highest fiduciary standards is my top priority.” The CIO serves as a chief advisor to the Treasurer and is responsible for the direct management of approximately $40 billion in state assets and provides insight and analysis for Commonwealth investment assets under custody totaling $150 billion, including the state’s three largest pension funds.
Treasurer Garrity Announces New Director of Outreach and Marketing for Consumer Programs Treasurer Stacy Garrity today announced the addition of Barbara Holbert to her staff to assume the new role of Director of Outreach and Marketing for Consumer Programs. Holbert most recently worked as Senior Vice President of Professional Development & Strategic Alliances at the PA Association of Community Bankers and as the President & CEO of PACB Services, Inc. Holbert also spent two decades with the Pennsylvania Bankers Association as the Managing Director for PBA Services Corporation and as Vice President of Communications and Professional Development. “Barbara will be an excellent addition to our team at Treasury,” Garrity said. “One of my primary focuses is outreach, and her extensive experience and background in that area will strengthen our team and ensure that more Pennsylvanians in every corner of the Commonwealth know about what Treasury has to offer them, including our great savings programs and unclaimed property program.” “I’m thrilled to be joining the Treasury team,” Holbert said. “I’m eager to help increase awareness and adoption of the consumer-facing programs Treasury offers to Pennsylvanians. I look forward to developing innovative ways to expand outreach to inspire more Pennsylvanians to save for the financial security of their future and obtain unclaimed property that they may not be aware Treasury has been diligently safeguarding.” As Director of Outreach and Marketing, Holbert will lead statewide outreach, community engagement, partnership development, and marketing for Treasury’s consumer programs, including unclaimed property, the PA 529 College and Career Savings Program, PA ABLE, and Keystone Scholars.
Treasurer Garrity Urges Pennsylvanians to Search for Unclaimed Property With the Easter bunny’s annual visit just around the corner, Treasurer Stacy Garrity today urged Pennsylvanians to grab their baskets and hunt for some of the more than $4 billion worth of unclaimed property being safeguarded by Treasury. She also noted that more than $10 million is owed to Pennsylvanians with the words Easter, bunny, rabbit, egg, chick, chocolate, hop, candy or basket in their name or business name. “Searching for unclaimed property is like the ultimate Easter egg hunt,” Garrity said. “It is so simple to search for money that’s owed to you, a loved one, or a friend. With about one in ten Pennsylvanians owed unclaimed property, chances are pretty good that you’ll find something — and whether it’s a little extra cash or a long-lost family heirloom, we want to get it back to you.” The state’s unclaimed property law requires assets to be turned over to Treasury after certain periods of time. Unclaimed property can include things like dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, forgotten stocks, insurance policies, tangible property like the contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes, and more. Tangible items are auctioned by Treasury after about three years of storage in the vault to make room for incoming property. Auction proceeds are kept in perpetuity for a rightful owner to claim in the future. Military decorations and memorabilia are never auctioned, and Treasury works diligently to find veterans and their families to reunite these priceless symbols of service. The average unclaimed property claim is worth about $1,500. Last year, Treasury returned more than $135 million of unclaimed property to Pennsylvanians. Search Treasury’s unclaimed property database to see if you have property waiting to be claimed at patreasury.gov/unclaimed-property.
