EAST HAVEN

Michelle Benivegna has departed from her position as the director of administration and management at East Haven Town Hall to become the second-ever town manager for Clinton.

With references from Clinton department heads and officials, Benivegna was appointed unanimously by the Clinton Town Council to her new position on May 30. Her last day at East Haven Town Hall was June 7.

“I think I’m leaving East Haven a better place,” Benivegna told The Courier. “As a resident, as an employee of the town, I'm proud of the accomplishments that we've made to improve the quality of life for the residents.”

In a statement to The Courier, East Haven Mayor Joseph Carfora announced his voice of confidence in Benivegna’s background and abilities for her new role given her four-and-a-half years as a part of his administration.

“Michelle has been a trusted voice in this administration from the very beginning. No matter what the task, Michelle is always ready, willing and, most importantly, able,” said Carfora. “I wish her well and look forward to her continued growth. Clinton made a great decision.”

Benivegna and Carfora both feel that her becoming the town manager in Clinton is a “natural progression” from her former role in East Haven since she assumed many of the fiscal and administrative responsibilities required of a town manager during her time in Carfora’s tenure. Coupled with her former employment at Morgan Stanley, Benivegna’s appointment by the Clinton Town Council assured her fitness to oversee the town’s financial matters and economic growth.

Clinton Town Council member Chris Aniskovich read a statement during the May 30 meeting which stated in part, “Michelle’s impressive career trajectory in municipal government, including her concurrent roles as director of administration and management, director of human resources, and economic development director, instills confidence in her ability to lead our town.”

Benivegna said she recognizes “the importance of Clinton's shoreline as a key economic driver, just as it is in East Haven,” and that her experience with development and management on the shoreline can help provide a boost for local businesses, tourism, and all-around economic growth in Clinton.

Along with “promoting sustainable development and enhancing the attractiveness of Clinton's coastal areas to residents and visitors,” Benivegna said her experience in working collaboratively on five East Haven town budgets that resulted in “a substantial increase in the fund balance from $2.8 million in 2019 to $8.2 million in 2023…along with raising the town's credit rating from A negative to A positive,” demonstrates her “fiscal knowledge and ability to manage municipal finances effectively.”

“Overall, I am committed to enhancing the Clinton community through strategic planning, fiscal responsibility, and open communication,” Benivegna said. “My proven track record in East Haven demonstrates my capability to lead effectively, and I am eager to bring my skills and experiences to Clinton to drive positive change and growth.”

Looking back on her time in her native East Haven, Benivegna recognizes numerous accomplishments she was proud to realize in the town in which she was raised. She identified the process of helping to navigate East Haven through the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the first and most prominent accomplishments.

“We were able to pull together resources with little notice to set up vaccine locations, personally delivered PPE [personal protective equipment] to our assisted living facilities to ensure they had what they needed, helped create a safe work environment for our employees, and had effective communication with the East Haven community throughout the pandemic,” she said.

In terms of other accomplishments, Benivegna also identified the substantial growth of the town’s Farmers Market, the Economic Development Incentive Program, and the beautification of the town’s parks and neighborhoods, along with the Town Green as a location for residents to gather for a growing number of community events and activities.

Benivegna said that practicing “effective” and “transparent and timely” communication with multiple town stakeholders “has been a cornerstone” of her leadership in East Haven, as well as having a collaborative approach to problem-solving for successful outcomes. Benivegna will “continue these practices in Clinton, ensuring that all stakeholders are well-informed and engaged in the decision-making process.”

While she looks forward to “starting this new chapter” in her professional life and working with the Clinton community, Benivegna recognizes that East Haven “will always be my hometown and very close to my heart, and we will continue to be involved in the community and the organizations that I belong to.”

Staff writer Eric O’Connell contributed to this report.