NewCanaanite.com (https://newcanaanite.com/tag/rich-townsend/page/6)
New Canaan is the perfect idyllic New England town. It is a beautiful place to life. But to keep it thriving, it also has to be a convenient place to work. It is time for our town council to take steps to make it a more convenient commute. Improved commuting logistics would massively improve New Canaan home values as more new families would consider New Canaan as an attractive and convenient alternative to Darien and Greenwich.
My family has known the Townsends since 2001 and I got to know Rich well in the past six years as co-manager of the endowments of the United Methodist Church of NC and co-leader of our churches volunteer efforts at Habitat for Humanity. At Habitat, we build houses for low income families in Bridgeport one Saturday a month. What’s a better way to get to know someone by working on a scaffold together? I have learned that Rich is intelligent, financially astute, generous, enthusiastic, a go-getter and a family man. He is compassionate and wants to make our community a better place to live.
To the Editor,
I encourage you to support Rich Townsend in his run for Town Council. Rich is a man of great integrity; he is honest, hardworking and deeply committed to maintaining a high quality of life for the citizens of New Canaan. As his Pastor, I have witnessed Rich’s care for and commitment to our local community through various missions and charitable organizations over the years. Rich is a core volunteer with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Fairfield County and co-coordinator of our church’s monthly Habitat workday. As a devoted and active member of the United Methodist Church of New Canaan, Rich and his wife, Cathy, are always willing to serve and lead our congregation as needed.
We have been residents of New Canaan since 2013 and have been very active in the community with two children in the New Canaan public schools, volunteering time for many organizations including the West School PTC, Cub Scouts, Meals on Wheels and St. Aloysius and financial support for many others. As many of you, our largest personal investment is our home in New Canaan. Although we do not have 20 years of history in this town we don’t need those years of experience to recognize a recurring theme with the current First Selectman Rob Mallozzi and Selectman Nick Williams—a lack of leadership in our town government and unwillingness to take positions on critical issues facing New Canaan. Saxe Middle School Expansion: this accomplishment does not belong to the first selectman or the selectman although it is touted as a key accomplishment.
Let’s get this out of the way: I am utterly biased in believing that Rich Townsend would be a great addition to Town Council. He’s a great guy—one of the very best. He is also my dad. Here’s the thing, I am biased, but I am also right. I have worked with Rich professionally for almost a decade, so perhaps my view is more well-rounded than most daughters.