How a former military officer became Pennsylvania's most effective unclaimed property hunter

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Stacy Garrity, a retired U.S. Army Reserve colonel and current Pennsylvania Treasurer, has transformed the state's approach to unclaimed property. By modernizing systems and implementing automated return programs, she has returned over $1 billion to citizens, setting consecutive annual records for the volume of assets restored to their rightful owners.

Before her political career, Stacy Garrity spent decades in the private sector and the military. A graduate of Bloomsburg University, she worked at Global Tungsten & Powders Corp. for over 30 years, eventually becoming a vice president. Simultaneously, she served three deployments in the U.S. Army Reserve, including service at Camp Bucca in Iraq. Her performance there earned her the nickname 'the Angel of the Desert' for maintaining a secure facility without a single complaint of abuse from detainees. She retired as a colonel in 2016, having received two Bronze Stars and the Legion of Merit.

Elected as Pennsylvania's 78th Treasurer in 2020, Garrity manages over $180 billion in state assets. Her tenure has been defined by a focus on fiscal transparency and administrative efficiency. She overhauled the state's unclaimed property system—the first such upgrade in 15 years—and introduced direct deposit payments. Her signature initiative, the Pennsylvania Money Match program, allows for the automatic return of single-owner unclaimed property valued at $500 or less. This effort, combined with other reforms, resulted in returning more than $289 million in the 2024-2025 fiscal year alone.

Beyond unclaimed property, Garrity oversees major savings programs, including the PA 529 College and Career Savings Program and the PA ABLE program for individuals with disabilities. She has actively sought to reduce fees for participants, saving account holders over $22 million in the PA 529 program. Her work extends to the state's vault, where she has returned hundreds of recovered military decorations, such as Purple Hearts and Bronze Stars, to veterans and their families. As a member of numerous state boards, including the Public School Employees' Retirement System, she continues to advocate for low-fee investment strategies and fiscal accountability.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• How a Pennsylvania suburb became one of America's most elite financial powerhouses
• From a childhood without electricity to the center of American political controversy
• Can a Republican break a sixteen-year streak in Pennsylvania?
• Pennsylvania's House of Representatives is the nation's largest full-time state legislative body
• How a bake sale helped launch the longest-serving woman in U.S. Congressional history
• Stamford is Connecticut’s economic powerhouse, hiding a history of witch trials and general strikes.
• Why St. Louis fans are fighting to keep their football team in the Dome
• How one fighter became the first three-sport world champion in ONE Championship history
• The Oldest European Settlement in the United States Is a Florida Time Capsule
• Lord Stanley’s trophy was a ten-guinea rose bowl, not a purpose-built championship cup.
• Did the SS Californian really ignore the Titanic's final, desperate cries for help?
• Starlight tours: The chilling history of police abandoning Indigenous people in the Canadian winter

More in US culture · More in Cultures · Latest · A–Z · All topics