EDITOR’S NOTE: This column has been corrected from an earlier version which included language that was not approved by First Selectman Fred Camillo. We apologize for the oversight in our editing process and note that the correct version appeared in both the print edition and the digital edition of the Greenwich Sentinel.
By Fred Camillo
The strength of Greenwich has always been its people—engaged, spirited, and ready to roll up their sleeves when their town calls. Today, that call is being answered through the work of several citizen-led task forces, where dedicated volunteers are leading efforts that will shape our community for generations. These are not passive committees; they are action-oriented, problem-solving groups that embody the best of civic leadership.
Two such examples are the Havemeyer Building Task Force and the Hamill Rink Task Force, chaired by Andy Duus and Matt DeSchamps, respectively. These teams have been digging in—listening to residents, studying the data, and evaluating the possibilities for how to reimagine iconic town assets. Their charge: help us deliver a long-awaited new ice rink and chart a future for the Havemeyer Building that both honors its history and meets the needs of today.
Their work builds on the successful efforts of the very talented Greenwich Plaza Task Force, led by Ross Moore, which tackled tough questions about air rights, train station aesthetics, and public-private collaboration. That model—neighbors with diverse expertise and backgrounds, united by their shared love of Greenwich—is now the standard we’re building on. And it works.
This is the Greenwich way: volunteers, experts, and visionaries coming together—not for credit or acclaim—but because they believe in the mission. They believe in their town. They believe in each other. Just like the task forces before them, Andy, Matt, and their teams are not waiting for direction. They are leading it. They are not just proposing change—they are shepherding it forward.
The recent opening of the Cohen Eastern Greenwich Civic Center stands as a shining example of what can happen when the people step forward with purpose. That new civic center is more than a building—it’s a living testament to teamwork, vision, and action.
All of this reminds us: leadership is not a title. It’s action. Civic involvement is not a luxury. It’s essential. Vision, dedication, teamwork—these are the bedrock values that move Greenwich forward.
As Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” Here in Greenwich, we are doing just that—and we’re just getting started.
Fred Camillo is the First Selectman of Greenwich
