Lindsey McGarity
Lindsey McGarity joined the HCWA Board of Directors as the District 3 Member in March of 2024. Henry County District 3 Commissioner Dee Anglyn, III appointed Mr. McGarity to the HCWA Board to fill the unexpired term of the late Jimmy Carter, former District 3 HCWA Board Member, who passed away on Feb. 21, 2024.
Mr. McGarity was sworn in to begin his service on the HCWA Board at the March 2024 Authority Meeting by his brother, the Hon. Judge Arch McGarity, Senior Judge, Superior Court. Mr. McGarity is the Owner/Producer of McGarity Insurance in McDonough, which offers a variety of insurance coverage for residents and businesses, including auto, homeowners, business owners, general liability, and more.
“I want to thank my commissioner for appointing me to the Water Authority Board, and I hope to bring a common sense approach to this service,” says McGarity. “Water and sewer are major components to managed growth and the safety of our community.”
Mr. McGarity graduated from Henry County High School in 1968, and then attended the University of Georgia, where he graduated in 1973 with a degree in risk management and insurance.
Upon returning home to Henry County after college, Mr. McGarity worked for four years with the Georgia Insurance Department, advancing to Assistant Deputy in the Rating Division. That experience helped him start an independent agency – McGarity Insurance – with his brother John in 1978. He took over sole ownership of McGarity Insurance a few years later, following his brother’s move into the real estate industry.
Mr. McGarity has more than 45 years of experience in business locally and has seen Henry County grow from a rural community into one of the fastest growing areas in the metro Atlanta region. With the continual growth in Henry County, McGarity has likewise seen the growth of the Water Authority into a model utility in Georgia.
“The Henry County Water Authority has won numerous awards and is viewed as one of the best water authorities in the state and Southeast,” notes McGarity. “I want to continue that tradition of excellence.”
When Mr. McGarity joined the HCWA as District 3 Board Member, he saw a water and sewer utility tasked with supporting and staying ahead of growth without compromising services.
“Our biggest challenge will be how to manage growth while continuing to maintain the highest standards for water and sewer services,” adds McGarity. “We also have to continue to protect the safety of the public and our employees in all areas of operations.”
An avid golfer, Mr. McGarity and his three siblings – the oldest, sister Elaine; older brother John; and younger brother Arch – continue to live and work locally in and around Henry County. Mr. McGarity and his wife Rita, who is a retired teacher for Henry County Schools, have been married 49 years (in July of 2024). They have two daughters – Julia Carpenter and Caroline Kimm – and seven grandchildren, and they are Members of McDonough Presbyterian Church, where Rita served as choir director for more than 20 years.
“I think Henry County was a great place to grow up, where I was taught the fundamentals of life,” says McGarity. “I’ve been blessed with a good family and standard of living here.”