Greenwich Hires New Town Administrator, Kathleen Buch, After Ben Branyan Moves back to BOE

On Monday First Selectman Fred Camillo announced the hiring of Kathleen Buch as the new Town Administrator and COO.

Her hiring is effective Sept. 23, 2024.

Camillo said Buch’s hiring comes after a thorough, open search.

She will succeed current Town Administrator and COO Ben Branyan, who has taken the position of chief financial and administrative officer of the Greenwich Public Schools.

He left town hall for the Havemeyer building for the new job at BOE, effective June 10.

Ms Buch is currently the Town Administrator of the Town of Darien and Camillo said she is eager for the new challenges of coming to work in Greenwich.

She was named town administrator in Darien in September 2015.

“This is a wonderful opportunity and I am excited to come work for the Town of Greenwich,” Buch said in a release. “I am looking forward to joining the team.”

Camillo said that Ms Buch was an outstanding candidate throughout the process.

“We looked at many excellent applicants and there were a lot of people who could have fit right into the Town of Greenwich, but to me Kathleen stood out,” Camillo said in the release. “Her local connections and her experience in municipal government make her the perfect fit for Greenwich. I am eager to get to work with her starting in September and I think she is going to be a real asset to our Town.”

Ms Buch has an extensive background in municipal administration, including in managing Town finances, preparing annual operating and capital budgets as well as developing a six-year capital plan.

She has been Town Administrator of Darien since 2015 and previously worked as the Finance Director for Darien as well as Finance Director for the City of West Haven and as Assistant Finance Director for the Town of Newtown and Chief Fiscal Officer for the Town of Southbury.

In addition, Buch has private sector experience as a financial advisor for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter.

She is a certified public finance officer as well as a member of the Connecticut City Managers’ Association and the International City Managers’ Association. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from Chestnut Hill College and a Master’s Degree from Western Connecticut State University.