Meet David Smith, Incumbent
Your Candidate for Ridgefield Inland Wetlands Board
How has your personal / professional background prepared you for this role?
I’m Chief Strategy Officer for a three-hospital system in the Hudson Valley and have worked in healthcare management for over 45 years. I have reviewed quite a few proposals and have worked on numerous development projects in my career, so I bring that mindset to this role. More importantly my father was a soil scientist and very dedicated to preserving wetlands in his role in the Soil Conservation Service for the Department of the Interior. He’s passed away now, so I take on this role in honor of him.
What do you think the Inland Wetlands Board’s greatest strengths are and how will you build on them?
As a Board, we’re very dedicated to preserving the wetlands in town. I think we make really good, well-reasoned decisions. We work together really well and very rarely have a difference of opinion. We debate projects without regard to political affiliation. We’re here to provide a service and protect the wetlands. I don’t have the technical background that some of our other members have, but every meeting we have and project we review helps me build my knowledge and my ability to contribute.
What are your top priorities for the Inland Wetlands Board when you are elected?
The role of Inlands Wetlands is often misunderstood. We are not just an enforcement agency just looking for violations. We’re here to ensure that our wetlands remain healthy. Many rivers originate here in Ridgefield. The wetlands even flow through downtown. What we build and how we treat property has an impact on the overall health of the wetlands. Protecting the whole watershed is critical. We hope to provide more education to the community about what the IWB does.
We want to be helpful in providing advice in advance if a homeowner is thinking about building a pool or building something close to the wetlands. We do site walks every other Sunday for projects that are coming before the board. The public is invited to come along.
How will you balance growth and progress while preserving Ridgefield’s character?
We really try to be objective, and we follow the wetlands regulations. The regulations are clear, and we implement them to protect the wetlands.
What are the key issues the Inland Wetlands Board faces?
This last year was eventful including a number of large controversial projects that balanced growth and impact on wetlands. There will likely continue to be a number of large, complicated projects coming up that could seriously impact the wetlands–the intersection between growth versus protecting the environment. I think those are going to be big challenges as we go forward.
And I think an important issue is figuring out how best to educate Ridgefield residents about what types of activity might require consultation with the IWB and ultimately require filing an application.
What is your leadership style?
For me, leadership is not about being in charge. It’s about taking care of the people in my charge. That’s always been my philosophy.
What does Ridgefield mean to you personally?
My wife, Sonya, and I have lived here since 2002. We came here from Ellicott City, Maryland. I was working for a CEO who brought me with him to Stamford. We were looking for a place to live in many of the towns in the area. Then we drove into Ridgefield.
At the time, we had two girls, four and six. We drove by Veterans Park School and saw everybody out playing soccer on the fields. We said, “Okay, this is the place for us.” We raised three children through the educational system and Sonya became very involved in the PTAs. I’ve had long commutes to other communities and have volunteered in a number of organizations where I work, so I/m excited to have the opportunity to give back to the community where we live.
What is one thing voters might be surprised to learn about you?
I’m a master home brewer. I’ve been brewing my own beer since 1974. While it’s difficult to find the time, I like to brew whenever I can.