First Selectman Fred Camillo has announced the hiring of Kathleen Buch as the new Town Administrator and COO. Her hiring is effective September 23, 2024.
Buch’s hiring comes after a thorough, open search and 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. Buch is currently the Town Administrator of the Town of Darien and said she is eager for the new challenges of coming to work in Greenwich.
“This is a wonderful opportunity and I am excited to come work for the Town of Greenwich,” Buch said. “I am looking forward to joining the team.”
Camillo said that 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. “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.”
Buch comes to the Town of Greenwich with 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 she has 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.