Louis J. Ingrassia Jr is a man of many jobs. The Commissioner of Public Works and Co-Director of the Office of Emergency Management for the Town of Wallkill has recently added another title. He is now the chairman of the board of directors for Hudson Valley Honor Flight.

Ingrassia has worked for the Town of Wallkill since 1986. He started off as a laborer in the water and sewer department, before being appointed the Superintendent of Water and Sewer in 2008.

In 2013, he was appointed as the Commissioner of Public Works, which includes the highway department, parks department, building facilities and maintenance of police cars, to name a few.

“It’s a big job but at the end of the day, I’ve been here literally my entire life,” said Ingrassia. “I love it. I love coming to work every day. I have great people that I work with and I’m in my 38th year of service to the Town of Wallkill.”

Ingrassia has been a volunteer at the fire department for 42 years, a past chief of the Howells Fire Department and is currently an elected Fire Commissioner at the Howells Fire Department. He volunteers at the Middletown Kiwanis Club and belongs to numerous public works organizations. He is also currently the chairman of the Hudson Valley Water Works Association.

Happily married for 30 years with two children, Ingrassia is surrounded by schoolteachers.

“My wife is a schoolteacher. My son is a schoolteacher. My daughter is a schoolteacher,” he said.

Although keeping up with his busy schedule has caused Ingrassia to miss a lot of family dinners, the constant support from his family has motivated him throughout the years to keep striving.

“My kids growing up used to call it DWD, Dinner Without Dad, but honestly the support of your family is 100% and I’ve got a very supportive family,” said Ingrassia, “I come from a family of public servants, so I just continue doing the same thing. It was the way I was brought up. We just give back to our community and we’re still doing it.”

Recently elected the chairman of the Board of Directors of Hudson Valley Honor Flight, Ingrassia brings his community expertise and experience to his new role.

Hudson Valley Honor Flight is a nonprofit organization that serves to honor American veterans by giving them “the best day of their lives,” according to Ingrassia. HVHF provides a once-in-a-lifetime flight to Washington, D.C., where veterans are transported around the district by bus to visit war memorials, attend a dinner in their honor and then return home to a warm greeting. Each veteran is escorted by a personal guardian, which is either a volunteer or a family member who asks to accompany them, and the HVHF flight team for the day-long trip. Their main priority is given to veterans of WWII, the Korean War, Cold War, Vietnam War, and terminally ill veterans.

Ingrassia has been volunteering for HVHF for more than 10 years. The HVHF has served more than 2,000 veterans and organized more than 30 flights to Washington, D.C. since it was founded in 2013.

The organization flies three times a year. Their next flight is scheduled for April 13 departing from New York Stewart International Airport with 85 veterans. There will be a flight in May leaving out of Westchester County Airport with 65 veterans, and another flight in October leaving from Stewart International Airport.

“It’s an organization that’s near and dear to my heart. I’m not a veteran, however, I’ve had veterans in my family and in being able to serve in that capacity, I feel that my service now as a board member and as a volunteer to Honor Flight allows me to acknowledge the services and sacrifices of our veterans and keep the Honor Flight going,” said Ingrassia.

Ingrassia is also a candidate for the New York State Assembly seat that has become available in the 100th district, which is the Town of Wallkill, the City of Middletown, and the majority of Sullivan County.

“If I’m successful in that in the election season this year, I will be retiring from the Town of Wallkill to take that position but that would just be my next step to continue on in my public life,” said Ingrassia, “I got a lot of irons in the fire but that’s okay. It’s kinda like juggling but you juggle it and get it done.”

Mission 32 of the Hudson Valley Honor Flight takes place on Saturday, April 13. The public is invited to come and cheer on our local veterans as they depart for Washington, D.C. Pre-fligh send-off from New York Stewart International Airport is 6:30 a.m.. The welcome home rally takes place at 8:30 p.m. Bring a flag and your family, group, team or troop to honor our heroes and give them the send off and welcome home that many of them never received but so rightfully deserve.