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Greenwich Selects New Town Administrator From Post With Schools

GREENWICH, Conn. -- The town of Greenwich has selected Benjamin Branyan as its new town administrator, First Selectman Peter Tesei announced Tuesday at Town Hall.

Benjamin Branyan, standing at right, is the new town administrator in Greenwich, replacing John Crary, sitting at left, who is retiring.

Benjamin Branyan, standing at right, is the new town administrator in Greenwich, replacing John Crary, sitting at left, who is retiring.

Photo Credit: Frank MacEachern

Benjamin Branyan assumes his new position and replaces John Crary, who is retiring, effective June 1.

Greenwich didn't have to look far to find the perfect candidate: Branyan is moving over from a post at the Greenwich Public Schools, where he is currently managing director of operations.

"We see talent, and we snatch it," Tesei said.

There were 70 applicants in the nationwide search, and Branyan was one of the top seven, Tesei said. He cited 

"His experience workin both in municipal government and schools operations are very advantageous to the town where a considerable part of our budget is schools," he said. "He has a rare ability to hit the ground running."

Branyan, 39, has been managing business operations for the school district since 2010. He brings almost 20 years of experience in managing the day-to-day operations of local governments.

"I love working for the Town of Greenwich and when I saw the opportunity open I (thought) I would be foolish to not apply,'' he said in comments before the press conference.

 He has prepared five multimillion-dollar school District budgets, ushered them through the town approval process, and closed each year with a balanced budget, the statement said. 

Branyan has managed operations related to the Music Instructional Space and Auditorium (MISA) building project at Greenwich High School as well as the New Lebanon School building project. 

“Ben Branyan has been a highly valued administrator for the schools. He brings excellent quality and efficiency to every function under his purview," Superintendent of Schools William McKersie said. "Without a doubt, this is a loss for the Greenwich Public Schools. This is a great opportunity for Ben. All of Greenwich will benefit from Ben’s rare mix of dedication, expertise and integrity.”

The town administrator is responsible for the daily operations of all functions under the supervision of the first selectman, including community development, fire, fleet, human resources, information technology, labor relations, parking services, parks and recreation, police, public works, purchasing and administration, and law. 

Before coming to Greenwich in September 2010, Branyan was chief operating officer for the Stratford Public Schools, responsible for all school district operations. He began with the Stratford Public Schools in 2006 as the school business administrator.

Branyan also spent over 10 years in operations for several municipalities, working in Stratford, where he was town manager, East Grand Rapids, Mich.; Cedar Springs, Mich.; and the Township of Lower Municipal Utilities Authority in New Jersey. 

He is a native of Cedar Springs, Mich.

He and his wife Connie have three children: Helen, Sam and Ben who are in 11th, eighth and fifth grade respectively.

He received his bachelor's degree from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich., in 1998 and his master’s degree from Western Michigan University in Grand Rapids in 1999.

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