Selectman Jim Marpe Appoints New Operation Director For Westport

From The Town of Westport: First Selectman Jim Marpe announced today that he has appointed Sara A. Harris to the position of Operations Director for the Town of Westport effective July 12.

Ms. Harris has over 15 years of direct, full-time experience working in local and federal government as a public servant. During her tenure with the New York City Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget, she managed over $2 Billion of the City’s revenue. She sat on a range of policy groups and worked hands on with several top consulting firms to achieve operational efficiencies and consolidations. As a voting member of the NYC Franchise Concession Review Committee, she approved hundreds of agreements, such as Cable Television, the Central Park Conservancy and the Ferry Point Golf Course. While Chief of Staff for the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation Capital Division, she oversaw an office of approximately 400 staff responsible for the design and construction of all parks and parkland projects.

Mr. Marpe stated, “Sara brings extensive experience achieving operational excellence within the public sector. I am impressed by the portfolio of municipal projects she has managed and implemented during her career under New York City’s Bloomberg Administration.”

Ms. Harris will have a number of responsibilities in her role as Operations Director. Among them are:

• Working with Department Heads and managing special projects to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of town operations, including consolidation opportunities within Town government as well as the Board of Education and other municipalities. Such initiatives will lower town costs (or increase revenues), while improving the quality and speed of services for residents.
• Developing and/or enhancing departmental performance measures as the basis for enhancing the budget process, structure and reporting.
• Identifying other government or private grant opportunities and coordinating the application process.
• Seeking opportunities to broaden and improve the communications and outreach between the Selectman’s office and Westport residents.
• Supplementing the economic development initiatives that result from various planning activities and from opportunities identified by the Selectman’s office.

Ms. Harris, a resident of Monroe, Connecticut, is originally from Hartford County where she attended both public and private schools. Sara’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies and Political Science from Fordham University (cum laude) and a Master of Science from the New School University’s Milano School concentrating in Urban Policy Analysis and Management (magna cum laude). She is also a CORO Leadership Fellow.

“I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to serve the Town of Westport and I look forward to joining the staff,” Ms. Harris said. “My primary goals are to see complex consolidation projects to completion, establish performance measures that improve municipal processes, and find revenue and cost saving opportunities for the Town. Similar experiences managing New York City agencies and their budgets have prepared me for success in this role.”

A bi-partisan search committee comprised of Personnel Director Ralph Chetcuti, Senior Corporate Executive Steve Parrish, Communications Specialist and town volunteer Karen Hess, and Westport Library Board of Directors Member Iain Bruce, recommended Ms. Harris to the First Selectman.

Image Courtesy of The Town Of Westport