About Mayor Rich Smith
Raised in Milford and a proud graduate of its public schools, Mayor Rich Smith is deeply connected to the community he has always called home.
Rich’s brother, State Rep. Frank Smith, and his sister Laura, were raised in the home he now resides. His education began at Kay Avenue School, now known as West Shore Middle School, and continued at Jonathan Law High School. From there, Rich earned a degree with distinction from Yale University and pursued advanced studies in public policy at Trinity College.
Rich married his high school sweetheart, Michelle Morano, and together they raised three daughters, Rebecca, Melissa, and Meghan, in Milford. They now have an incredible son-in-law Aaron Sanner and two beautiful granddaughters, Madelyn and Naomi, who live just up the road from the Smith family.
“Milford is my foundation, my home, the place I am surrounded by family and life-long friends, the place I feel so fortunate and proud to be and to be a part of.”
Rich’s professional career equipped him with valuable experience in leadership and strategic planning, having held executive positions at esteemed organizations including Dun & Bradstreet, The Hartford, MassMutual, PepsiCo, and AT&T. Through these roles, he learned how to implement process improvements, apply technology, and introduce efficiencies to drive down operating costs.
He also has served a lifetime in public service, including, but not limited to, Milford Police Commission Chairman, Board of Directors at Bridges, Milford Representative on the Regional Water Authority Board, CT Judicial Review Council, and the Conversation Commission.
These experiences made him uniquely qualified to serve the remainder of Former Mayor Ben Blake’s term in 2023. In that short time, he completed or began an impressive list of projects and accomplishments including:
Bringing together organizations that combat food insecurity including Food2Kids, Purple Pantry, and the Milford Health Department, succeeding in finding efficiencies among them to deliver food to those in need
Negotiated and signed a 50-year lease for The Boys and Girls Club to expand their facilities
Established safety procedures for city employees and within city buildings including fire drills, CPR training, and active shooter drills
Opened City Hall to the public to encourage community engagement and promote government transparency
Worked with the owners (and largest taxpayers in Milford) of the CT post mall to establish a long range plan to bring in new revenue to Milford - a project proposal which he also presented to P&Z that was approved before he stepped down
Created ‘Veterans Only’ parking spots at Parsons
Provided beach stickers to city employees and public school employees who otherwise would not have had access
Among many others
“When I was sworn in to complete Mayor Blake’s term on May 1, 2023, I realized I had prepared my entire life to do this job. I was prepared and excited for the work ahead and I worked tirelessly to build a better Milford for our families, businesses, and future generations. So now, I am honored and humbled to have been elected as Milford’s 13th Mayor.”
“As your mayor, I am committed to fostering growth, enhancing our schools, supporting small businesses, and preserving the unique charm that makes Milford a special place to live and work.
There is so much to do together, and together we can ensure a brighter and more fiscally responsible future for our community.”
Civic and Public Service
Mayor of Milford, 2023, 2025 —
Milford Police Commission Chair
CT Judicial Review Council
Board of Directors, Bridges Healthcare
Milford Rep. Regional Water Authority
Conservation Commission
Private Sector Experience
AT&T
PepsiCo
MassMutual
Connecticut Mutual
Dun & Bradstreet
The Hartford
Patent Certified System and Method of Managing Electronic Data
