Retired for 3 years, this NYC employee is back to work via Silver Stars program - SILive.com

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – Word of mouth can often be a better way to get a job than answering an advertisement. And for Cynthia Murray, word of mouth from a friend got her back to work after being retired for three years.

Murray’s friend, a fellow retiree, told her about the Silver Stars program.

Launched by the city Department for the Aging (DFTA) in Fall 2021, the Silver Stars program allows city agencies to staff their workforce with senior, talented, skilled professionals while also gaining cost-saving measures and an expedited hiring process.

Murray, 67, retired from the New York City Police Department in April 2017 after 19 years where she worked as supervisor police communication technician supervising 911 operators and dispatchers.

Retirement was going great for Murray -- there was plenty of time to spend with her grandchildren and family. But when the initial wave of the coronavirus (COVID-19) passed, she learned about the Silver Stars program.

“I signed up, and soon after I was called and emailed about job opportunities. The openings were part-time positions, no more than four hours a day and 20 hours per week, which made it very attractive,” Murray told the Advance/SILive.com.

Her resume wound up at the city Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) for the position of sales associate at the Manhattan-based City Store.

“My return to the workforce was driven by the COVID-19 pandemic and the isolation experienced because of the virus. I wanted to get out and see people and have adult conversations. The extra money is a plus, and I’m able to spoil my grandchildren,” she said.

Returning to the workforce has been a joy, Murray said.

She enjoys seeing smiling customers and all the “cool things” offered at the City Store, which she says are perfect gifts for friends, family and colleagues.

Pleasant Plains resident Mary McLaughlin, 67, retired from the FDNY in September 2021 and is another Staten Island resident who decided to join Silver Stars.

SILVER STARS ARE FILLED WITH ‘WISDOM AND SPUNK’

DCAS may be one of the lesser-known city agencies, yet it’s responsible for so much of what makes New York City, New York City.

DCAS Commissioner Dawn Pinnick explains, “With a wide array of responsibilities ranging from managing New York City’s most iconic courthouses and municipal buildings, to purchasing over $1 billion annually in goods and services for more than 80 city agencies, what we do is build upon our mission to make city government work for all New Yorkers.”

The agency is responsible for recruiting, hiring and training city employees; managing 55 public buildings throughout the five boroughs; acquiring, selling and leasing city property; overseeing the greenest municipal vehicle fleet in the United States; and taking the lead on the city’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions from government operations.

There’s no greater threat to our own future than the ongoing climate crisis,” she said.

A recent joint effort with the city Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Transportation to improve school bus safety is another example of how DCAS works for all New York City residents, even the youngest of them.

Pinnock said being a part of these innovations and the ability to be a part of every facet of city government makes working at DCAS, through regular employment or through the Silver Stars program, a reward.

“I am proud to share that both of my parents were dedicated civil servants, and I currently live in a multigenerational household with my 76-year young mom. Each day I have a front row seat to the inspirational, wise, and thoughtful person she is and how it translates to her continued support of our family and her community. For me, she’s a golden star, a silver star, and shines as bright as every other star in the galaxy,” Pinnock said.

She continued, “The people who return to city service after retirement are much like my mom, still filled with wisdom and spunk that can improve the lives of New Yorkers. So, it was a no-brainer to support the Department for the Aging’s Silver Stars program. For many, the call to civil service is more than just a job; it is a lifelong passion to help and serve others. That passion does not end when they retire, and through the Silver Stars program we get to offer a second wind to retired city employees who still have more to give their city. We welcome city retirees and value their experience and institutional knowledge of city government.”

Murray agreed with Pinnock, “I would and do recommend DCAS and the Department of Aging to other retirees who may have an interest in returning to work for the city for a few hours a week. It is doable and you get the rest of the time to do as you please – it’s the best of both worlds.”

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