Leadership
Henry A. Garrido
Executive Director, District Council 37
Executive Director
Since becoming executive director in 2014, Garrido has focused on encouraging greater member participation, initiating the DC 37 Union Strong organizing campaign. The campaign continues to broaden membership outreach and services through one-on-one conversations with members. More than 95 percent of DC 37 locals have 100 percent member participation.
Garrido previously served as the union’s associate director. In that position, he helped establish the Municipal Employees Housing Program, which coordinates grants for first-time homebuyers and provides foreclosure prevention services, financial education and counseling. He also directed the union’s white paper project that addressed government waste by investigating the privatization of City services and identifying additional revenue sources. Garrido was also involved in a sustainability initiative focused on increasing green jobs in New York State.
Garrido is an international vice president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), co-chair of the Municipal Labor Committee, a trustee on the City of New York’s Workforce Investment Board, an advisory board member of the New York City Independent Budget Office, and serves on the board of the New York City Employees Retirement System (NYCERS).
Garrido oversaw the redevelopment of the union’s headquarters at 125 Barclay, which reopened as a state-of-the-art member service center during the union’s 80th anniversary in 2024. A native of the Dominican Republic, he is the first Latino to head DC 37 since it was formed in 1944.
