Thomas Madden, former Greenburgh, N.Y., commissioner of planning, was named Stamford’s new economic development director Thursday. Madden will assume his role next month.
“I’m incredibly thrilled to be going to Stamford,” Madden said. “It’s a world-class and regional leader, and I’m looking forward to working with Mayor Martin. I look at what Stamford is doing and they’re hitting all of the right things to make sure they have an extremely strong economy. They are diversifying business groups, building housing to house new students coming out of universities and embracing the whole work-play atmosphere.”
Madden, who served four years as deputy commissioner and six years as commissioner of Greenburgh’s Department of Community Development and Conservation, has been instrumental in developing new environmental standards for the town, according to an email from Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner. Madden has also helped the town adopt a green building code to develop new sites and revise the Energy Star code and Smart Growth Development study, which focuses on adding mixed-use developments as part of the town’s comprehensive plan.
His responsibilities included serving as the principal staff adviser to the town and village boards while providing support for 13 boards and commissions. Madden was involved in coordinating the processing and review of site plan development proposals and subdivision applications. He was also in charge of making sure zoning ordinance amendments complied with local and state laws and examining the environmental impact and land use studies that allow the town board to make decisions on whether to act on the applications, Feiner said.
Madden was a steering committee member for Westchester County’s Central Park Avenue Bus Rapid Transit study and the Greenburgh Comprehensive Plan update. He was also a member two Stakeholders’ Advisory Working Groups for the Tappan Zee Bridge/I-287 environmental review. He helped develop the Mid-Hudson regional sustainability plan, which is tied to the regional economic development council’s strategic plan. In 2012, The Business Council of Westchester named Madden as one of the “rising stars” in the “40 Under 40” program.
Robin Stein, who served as the interim economic development director for Stamford since January, will transition to a full-time role helping Mayor David Martin and Madden. Feiner has proposed that Garrett Dusquesne, deputy planning commissioner of Greenburgh, step in as commissioner.
