Scott Healy - Executive Director
Where did you come from?
Hebron, Connecticut (that's pronounced HEE-brun. As in...Hebron).
Where did you go to school?
Yale University, Class of 1996
What did you study at school?
Ethics, Politics and Economics with a focus on Urban Studies.
How did you end up here? Cynthia Farrar, one of my professors in college, taught me how hard-working, dedicated individuals can effect incredible and lasting changes in their neighborhoods and communities. After getting my degree, I decided to stay in New Haven initially to work with Cynthia on a HUD-funded program to revitalize inner city neighborhoods, including the Dwight neighborhood where I now live. When the Town Green District opened shop, I was lucky enough to be hired as Business Manager. The Board hired me as the director in 2000.
When did you get here? April 1998
What do you do here, anyway? I'm fortunate to be surrounded by very talented, passionate people who take a lot of initiative, so my job doesn't require a heavy hand--except when someone tries to get away with using Comic Sans on a Town Green flyer or letter. I get to work closely with great people at City Hall, the Chamber of Commerce, Market New Haven, the Arts Council, Pilot Pen Tennis, the International Festival, and many others working to improve the image of our hometown. To be honest, it takes a while to explain what the Town Green District is and does, but generally we're the stewards of Downtown who do all the behind-the-scenes work to make the heart of New Haven a more appealing place. That means that every day, my job is different and never boring. And I get to dabble in graphic design and a lot of creative writing, so my right brain is almost always happy.
Do you serve on any committees? Chairman of the Board, New Haven Festivals, Inc.; Board member, Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce; Initiative for Competitive Inner Cities (ICIC); City of New Haven's Facade Improvement Design Review; New Haven Trolley Line Steering Committee; Dwight Central Management Team; Founding Committee for the Center for American Music; and last but definitely not least, one of the marketing coordinators for Market New Haven, Inc.
Top 5 things that make your job awesome? Daisy, Win, Jennifer, Chip, and everyone else who works here and puts so much heart into everything we do
Do you have a nickname? Scooter, Scotty, Moe, and Swaheli (say it slowly and you'll get it). Chip calls me Chief, but that one hasn't stuck. Oh, and once, in a news article, Awful. As in, "He's awful." But the person who said it was angry at me for wanting to protect her historic building from demolition, so she wasn't inclined to say nice things.
What's your favorite TG memory to date? I have too many memories to list, but I think my favorite moments have been on Tuesday nights after work, when we've adjourned to a favorite watering hole (usually Richter's) to unwind, sit back, and say out loud the inappropriate things we've been bottling up all day. Daisy introduced us to the Tuesday night tradition and it's the perfect cure for weeks when we don't think anyone's noticing just how hard we work.
How about a fun fact? When I was in kindergarten, my frog Herbert (named after my dad, who apparently didn't mind) came in first place in the annual Frog Jumping Contest in Hebron. People up in the Hartford area sure do love their connection to Mark Twain, but I give my hometown credit for making me secretly aspire to be a short story writer.
