Kathy Smith: Greenwich’s Secret Formula – Rabin and Its Volunteers

Submitted by Kathleen “Kathy” Smith

Travel + Leisure just ranked the Town of Greenwich as one of the best places to live.  Indeed, Greenwich is a near-perfect mix of suburban community with a touch of the beach all within an hour by train from the city.  We have first-class public schools and taxes lower than New York.   But the true secret sauce to our community’s success lies with our residents who roll up their sleeves and volunteer like no other municipality in the nation.

I have seen this firsthand as a member of the Selectmen’s Nomination Advisory Committee (SNAC).   This bipartisan committee of 12 helps find and recommend skilled candidates to serve as volunteers on 21 Boards and Commissions which involve about 175 volunteer members.  Managing this massive undertaking – from finding balanced groups of volunteers to filling openings and renewing terms is precisely where Selectwoman Lauren Rabin makes an enormous difference.

You won’t read about Lauren’s work in the headlines; she is not a headline seeker.  Yet she quietly does much of the crucial day-to-day legwork.  Lauren applies her technology background to the process. We have successfully worked together to automate our systems, setting up a secure portal for tracking applications, committee makeup, term renewals, and member information.  This is a game-changer for efficiency, accuracy and transparency in our critical volunteer pipeline.

Please join me in supporting Lauren for re-election so that we can continue to benefit from her invaluable behind-the-scenes contribution to our town.

Kathleen “Kathy” Smith
Member, Selectmen’s Nomination Advisory Committee (SNAC)
RTM District 6 candidate (Old Greenwich)

 

These are the Boards and Commissions – some of the members may be your neighbors:

ADA and Advocacy Advisory Committee: Alan Gunzburg, Amy Montimurro, Bob Chaney, Ed Morissey, Lise Lapointe Jameson, Lucy Coudert Conrod, Luis Velazquez, Sarah Damsky, Stephanie Cowie, Stephanie Paulmeno, Veronica Chiavaroli

Affordable Housing Trust: William Finger, Sally Bednar, Brooks Harris, Anthony Cicchetti, Romulo Samaniego

Aging Commission: Conrad Levy, James Dougherty, Heidi Nolte, Steven Katz, Ellen Wolfson, Anne Marie Hynes, Kip Burgweger

Alarm Appeals Board: Rick Brooks, Kenneth Mifflin, Stefanie Lacoff, Stephanie Dunn Ashley, Philip Dodson, Alan Reitzfeld

Citizen’s Police Advisory Commission: Adriana Carrillo Harper, Angelica Arenas, John Mastracchio, Ron Carosella, James Joyella, John Raben, Sandy Kornberg, Charles Zoubek, Jose Lanuza, Evan Delman

Conservation Commission: Eric Brower, Lisette Henrey, Nancy Dickinson, Bill Rutherford, Sue Baker, Leslie Petrick, Karen DeWahl, Laura di Bonaventura, Ted Walworth, Gary Silberberg

Energy Management Advisory Commission: Peter Schweinfurth, Rob Liflander, Javier Aleman, Matthew Piscopo, Sabine Schoenberg, Laura DiBonaventura, Tony Turner

Ethics Board: Paul de Bary, Jennifer Cohen, Ken Greenberg, Stephanie Johnson, Joui Hessel

Fair Rent Commission: Michael Goldschmid, James Mack, Blaise Punturo, Danielle Claroni, Richard Saunders, Karen Hasterok, Russell Naiman, Samuel Gonzalez, Niels Pennings, Stephen Barto

Greenwich Communities (Housing): Angelo Pucci, Vincent DeFina, Sam Romeo, Irene Dietrich, James Boutelle

Harbor Management Commission: Michael Van Oss, Chris Lagano, Skip Parker, James Cobbs, Ty Anderson, Bernard Armstrong, Jenny Larkin, Richard Kriskey, Rob Pruett

Health Board: Maryann Ramos, Sarah Madden, Danielle Goodwin, Katharine Meyers, Sarah Gamble, Christen Cupples Cooper, Lauren O’Keefe

Historic District Commission: Martin Kagan, Jenny Larkin, Phillip Dodd, Mary Shaw Marks, Stephen Bishop, Anne Alexander, John Nelson, Nancy Brookfield Burke, Matt Bernard, Lynn Garelick

Human Services Board: Marc Jaffe, Natalie Queen, Gregg Pauletti, Debbie Appelbaum, David Snyder, Linda Camel, Patty Roberts, Gillian Ingraham, Cindy Lyall

Inland Wetlands & Watercourses (IWWA): Jacob Schondorf, Gordon Hinshalwood, Robert Rimmer, Peter Linderoth, William Gavin, Ted Walworth, Elliott Benton, Sandra Harris, Bill Baker, Michael Behringer

Nathaniel Witherell Board: Kate Tabner, Stephanie Paulmeno, Nim Patel, Pamela Packard, Brad Markowitz, Richard Kaplan, Brad Radulovacki, Peggy McSherry-Martino, Peter Kelly.

Parks & Recreation Board: Tracy Freedman, Sue Moretti Bodson, Rick Loh, Nancy Chapin, Ted Berenblum, Mike Bocchino, Scott Johnson, Matt Popp, Vivian Wu

Planning & Zoning Board of Appeals: Kenneth Rogozinski, Arthur Delmhorst, John Vecchiola, Frank Baratta, Wayne Sullivan, Mark Perry, Robert Nalewajek, Eric Ivester

Planning & Zoning Commission: Peter Lowe, Nick Macri, Margarita Alban, Dennis Yeskey, Arnold Welles, Mary Barnes Jenkins, Anne Noel Jones

Selectmen’s Nomination Advisory Committee (SNAC): Bill Ridenour, Cyndy Anderson, Valerie Stauffer, Sharon Phillips, Gina Gladstein, Tom Broadhurst, Tim Drinkall, Nancy Duffy, Kathy Smith, Alexandra Walko, Karen Royce, Julie Faryniarz

Shellfish Commission: Collin Lee, Richard Kral, Cliff Paulson, Geoff Lazlo, Bill Gremp, Roger Bowgen, Joan Tracey Sequin, Sue Baker, Don Landis

Note: The deadline to submit letters to the editor about candidates for consideration in the Nov 4, 2025 municipal elections is Oct 28, 2025 at 12:00 noon.