Ralph “Buddy” Nelson, the Village of Montgomery’s former DPW superintendent, officially retired from his position on August 23, concluding a 36-year career in the department. Throughout his employment, Nelson was a valuable DPW member who ensured smooth operations for the village’s facilities, from road pavements and water maintenance to disaster control during hazardous weather conditions.

Originally from New Windsor, Nelson moved to the Town of Montgomery in 1979. He graduated from Valley Central High School in 1988 with a heavy equipment and repair certificate and received his groundwater license from Orange County Community College in 1998. A machinery enthusiast, Nelson became a laborer for the Village of Montgomery’s DPW right after graduating from high school; before the department expanded, he was one of only three members.

“I’ve always liked running equipment, and my grandfather was a highway superintendent back in the ‘70s for the Town of Olive in Ulster County,” he said.

Over the years, Nelson would move through various positions in the DPW, going from a laborer to a machine equipment operator, then working foreman, and finally the superintendent in 2005. Throughout all four positions, he worked with countless employees, handled rapidly changing machinery, and managed great relations with the village board, including former Mayor Steve Brescia. Nelson accredited the department’s success to his staff, who helped him with all kinds of projects and situations.

“Everyone that I’ve worked with was great to work with. The guys at the DPW were always eager to work,” he said. “We always got the work done, especially if there was an emergency. They all came together, we approached it, and took care of it as fast and efficiently as we could.”

Nelson’s biggest challenges came from weather emergencies, such as blizzards and hurricanes. He and the DPW would need to prepare extensively for these conditions, minimizing the damage caused by these storms as much as possible.

“Things like blizzards, hurricanes, and the tornado in 2020 are the biggest challenges because you try to prepare for them as best as you can. But they’re also unpredictable,” he said. “The most stress you have is figuring out what a blizzard is going to do, whether you’re going to get 12 inches or 30 inches of snow, or if the water breaks in the middle of when it’s zero degrees or minus zero degrees.”

As superintendent, Nelson oversaw numerous projects, including the new water treatment plant at Holt Well Field, the village’s new water tower, replacements of several water lines and mains, and Veterans Memorial Park’s pickleball courts. He was also a member of the New York Conference Mayors and the Orange County Highway Superintendents Association and a volunteer for countless General Montgomery Day events. Outside of work, he enjoyed hunting, fishing, and motorsports.

Moving forward, Nelson is unsure how he will spend his retirement but hopes to catch up on hunting and fishing. He is thankful for the opportunity to serve the village’s residents and feels proud of the work he accomplished with the DPW.

“It was a pleasure working for the village; since I was there for that long, I’m going to miss a lot of the residents. A lot of them have moved away in the last 10 to 15 years, and there’ve been a lot of new residents,” he said. “But it was always a pleasure to work and see the projects get done, how satisfying they were, and how happy the residents were with them.”

Jake Henry, a DPW foreman who worked in the department for three decades, will take over as the new superintendent, a role that Nelson considered perfect for him.

“Jake was my foreman that they just promoted. He’s been working for about 30 years there, so he’s a veteran in the department,” he said. “Jake is really good, especially with water and sewer, so he should be a good fit with no problem at all.”