The story of New York’s state parks and historic sites is not just one of properties, but of people. During our Centennial year, we introduced you to some of them. In this new series, we take our scrapbook of memories down from the shelf and open it to share their stories in more detail.
His resume reads like the start to that old joke: “A quarterback, a politician and a parks administrator walk into a restaurant…” but it’s no joke. Former Western District Director Ed Rutkowski’s career took him through all those careers, and he was a champion at each one.
Born in Pennsylvania and a 1963 graduate of Notre Dame, Rutkowski’s career began as a member of the Buffalo Bills, where he played quarterback and wide receiver from 1963 to 1968. He was named MVP in his final year with the Bills before heading to the Canadian Football League, where he finished his football career with the Montreal Alouettes.
Upon retirement from the gridiron, Rutkowski joined his former Bills teammate turned Congressmember Jack Kemp as Kemp’s administrative assistant from 1970 until 1978 before running for Erie County Executive (Buffalo). Elected in 1979, he served as the CEO of the 15th largest county in the country until 1988. After a stint in the corporate world, he was appointed by Governor George Pataki as Western District Director of New York State Parks in 1995. At that time, the district, which no longer exists, was made up of the Niagara, Genesee and Allegany regions. He served until early 2007.
Based in Niagara Falls State Park, Rutkowski served under Commissioner Bernadette Castro and oversaw many important projects and events that have made the Niagara Region what it is today.
“I couldn’t believe I had been offered the job of running the parks. I always loved nature but had never really considered a career in that field,” he said of being appointed by Commissioner Castro and Governor Pataki.
He was able to tackle his new job by bringing some of the skills he used in football.
“Being a quarterback, it was always important to know what your teammates could and couldn’t do. I brought that philosophy to Parks and made sure I understood what everyone did. The staff were the teachers for me, and I learned so much from them,” he says of the transferable skills from football to running the Niagara Region of Parks. He recalled working under Commissioner Bernadette Castro as remarkable and called her a “servant leader,” in that she would never ask anyone to do anything she wouldn’t do and truly believed in making the visitor experience world-class.
Rutkowski’s time at Parks was marked with creating access and ensuring people had the ability to get as close to nature as possible, whether at Niagara Falls or at Woodlawn Beach, the latter of which opened under his watch. He praised current leaders for keeping a focus on those same principles.
When reflecting on the accomplishments, Rutkowski most recalls the projects he oversaw that offered people incredible experiences through proximity to the natural world.
“The opening of the Crow’s Nest [the walkway alongside the American Falls, currently under reconstruction and slated to open in spring 2026] was amazing because it was a place where you can really appreciate the power of the Falls. It is such a personal and natural experience to stand there.”
“At Woodlawn Beach, we wanted to create a beautiful space to welcome visitors and we did that with the Lodge, but I was most proud of the nature trail that led to the beach. I had been at Presque Isle in Erie [Pennsylvania] and wanted to replicate how they provided access.”
It wouldn’t be Parks without the occasional hijinks, and he laughed as he talked about the time Park Police Major Vince Iacovitti took him for a boat ride along the upper Niagara River, heading for the Falls. “All of a sudden, the engine cut, and Vince said something was wrong as we drifted closer to the Falls. Sure enough, he was just kidding and fired the boat back up and we had a good laugh.”
Rutkowski recalled welcoming President and Mrs. Carter to Niagara Falls, saying they were amazed by the mighty falls and surrounding park. He also enjoyed spending time with radio host Don Imus when he visited.
Rutkowski also spent time with another person who is significant to New York State Parks: Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Wilson was the owner of the Buffalo Bills and Rutkowski said he was an amazing man and like a father to the players. When Wilson passed away in 2014, a foundation bearing his name allocated $1.2 billion to support Western New York, which was his adopted home, and Southeast Michigan where he lived. The foundation focuses on funding early childhood programs, general economic development initiatives and to the benefit of State Parks, healthy lifestyles and park and trail development. Through a relationship with the foundation, more than $30 million has been allocated to parks in Western New York to build trails and other amenities like the new Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Welcome Center at Niagara Falls.
Rutkowski and his wife Marilou reside in Hamburg, NY, just a couple towns over from his beloved Woodlawn Beach State Park and from the Bills stadium. Their three daughters and grandchildren live close by. Rutkowski remains a constant presence with the Buffalo Bills Alumni group and recently appeared on CBS’s coverage of a Bills game, representing the 1964 and 1965 American Football League Champion Bills teams. The following year, the Bills lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, costing them a chance to go to the very first Super Bowl ever. If you are a modern-day Bills fan, this may sound painfully familiar!
“There were days at work when I would take a folder out to work on and go sit on a bench out by the Falls. I never could believe I got paid to do that job. I always felt so fortunate to have been in that position,” Rutkowski said with a satisfied smile.
— Written by Angela Berti, Niagara Region Director of Public Affairs
New York State Parks and Historic Sites Blog 