Chief Financial And Administrative Officer Named For Greenwich Schools

GREENWCH, CT — Greenwich Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Toni Jones on Wednesday announced the appointment of Ben Branyan as chief financial and administrative officer, effective June 10. Branyan replaces Blaize Levitan, who will leave GPS at the end of the month.

Branyan is well-known in the town of Greenwich for serving in a lead role as the town administrator and chief operating officer since 2015. He will serve as the school district’s leader in finance, business services, safety and security, and facilities.

"Ben Branyan has proven through the years to be a collaborative team leader and tremendous asset to the Greenwich community," Jones said in a news release. "Greenwich Public Schools will benefit from his expertise in operations management, program development, project execution, and budget administration. We are extremely pleased to welcome him back in a more senior role."

Branyan has a long history working with both school systems and town government, serving as an assistant town manager in Stratford and East Grand Rapids, Mich. In addition, Branyan served as the chief operating officer for Stratford Public Schools and managing director of operations for Greenwich Public Schools.

For the past 13 years, Branyan has served the town of Greenwich. As the town administrator and COO for nine years, he led the management of many essential governmental services, such as law enforcement, firefighting, public works, parks and recreation, and administration. He also developed and maintained a 15-year capital plan and annual operational budget.

"Rejoining Greenwich Public Schools is an exciting opportunity for me to partner with Superintendent Dr. Jones and the administration team to provide operational leadership to one of the nation's premier K-12 school districts," Branyan said in a news release. "For the past 13 years, I have helped shape the delivery of town services to provide a high quality of life for the residents of Greenwich. In this role I will have the opportunity to focus on strengthening the delivery of education services across the community."

Branyan holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Calvin College and a master of public administration from Western Michigan University. He also earned certification from the Connecticut State Department of Education as a school business administrator.