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09/21/2022 08:30 AMKeeping a watch over finances is one of the most important jobs a person can have. Whether its in his role as the chairman of the Board of Finance (BOF) or chairman of the Westbrook Foundation, Paul Winch is someone intimately knowledgeable about Westbrook’s finances.
As a board, the BOF is charged with approving the municipal budgets as well as overseeing the town’s finances. Funny enough, serving on the BOF was not something Paul thought he’d ever be doing. About two years ago there was a vacancy on the BOF and Paul explains he wasn’t interested in taking it.
“I really didn’t wave my hand at first, then at a Republican Town Committee meeting nobody wanted to do it, so I volunteered,” says Paul.
“We know our lane, the Board of Selectmen come up with programs and we find the funding. We don’t set policy; we just try and find the funding,” Paul explains. Paul has been a member of the BOF for a little over two years and the chairman since January of this year.
“I enjoy it, we have a good group. We try and work together and work through consensus,” Paul says.
The BOF isn’t the only way Paul helps contribute to the town. Paul is also the chairman of the Westbrook Foundation. Paul says he’s been a board member of the Foundation for five years and the chairman for three.
Per its mission statement, “(t)he purpose of the Westbrook Foundation, Inc., is to receive and administer funds and other property to help meet the medical and educational, social, welfare, cultural, recreational, and civic needs of the citizens of the town of Westbrook, Connecticut.”
“The foundation gives about $200,000 to in scholarships then we give about $300,000 in to Westbrook based 501c3s,” says Paul. As chairman Paul says his main job is overseeing the monthly meetings of the Foundation’s board.
“We’re very busy with the nonprofits and with our schools,” Paul adds.
While his current involvement in Westbrook centers around the town’s finances, Paul’s first foray into involvement in Westbrook was actually through sports.
“I first got involved in little league on the board then I started coaching too,” says Paul.
For Paul, Little League presented a way to get involved in what was then a relatively new town for him and his family.
“We wanted to be part of town and being a part of town means getting involved,” says Paul. The importance of being involved with a local community is something Paul saw first hand as a child.
“Growing up my father was the president of West Haven Little League and my mother was involved in the PTA there, too,” says Paul.
For Paul, though, it took until he was an adult himself before he decided to become involved locally.
“I never intended to be the chairman of the BOF or to chair a private foundation, but it’s something I got interested in as I got older,” says Paul.
Being involved in town – especially on boards related to money — can certainly be challenging Paul acknowledges.
“Being involved, there are a lot of constituencies that need funding. It’s a balancing act," Paul says, “We really have to control spending and some people aren’t going to get as much funding as they want. It’s hard.”
However, that’s not to say that it doesn’t have its rewards.
“We do our best trying to make a difference. For example, with the Foundation we give out scholarships and that’s huge for someone who wants to go college and needs money for that,” says Paul.
Paul grew up in West Haven but has lived in Westbrook for the last 18. Paul is now retired from a career in telecommunications, a career he enjoyed. In his spare time Paul can be found golfing, traveling, and is an avid New York Yankees and New York Giants fan.
As for his favorite thing about Westbrook, Paul likes how just a little effort can go a long way. “We’re a small community of 7,000 people. There are ways you can make a difference here by getting involved,” Paul says.
“We can make a little difference and make zip code 06498 a little bit better.”