By Gretchen Webster

WESTPORT — Erik Barbieri has been the director of the Parks and Recreation Department for only a month, but he already has met individually with every staff member “to learn their role and what we can do better.” 

A veteran in the field, he worked for New Britain’s Parks and Recreation Department for 30 years, including 10 years as its director for the central Connecticut city twice the size of Westport. He replaces Jennifer Fava, who left the Westport post for a similar job in Darien last May.

Barbieri’s goal here has been “to hit the ground running and understand operations as soon as possible,” he said in an interview last week.

But he also understands that it takes time to come to grips with a new job in a new town, and looks forward to taking a deep dive into different aspects of managing the wide range of Westport’s parks and recreation facilities and programs, which change with different seasons throughout the year.

Big agenda with a few hot buttons

“There are a lot of projects in the department to be done in the future,” Barbieri said. “My resume does have a lot of project management.”

His experience should come in handy as the Parks and Recreation Department considers the Longshore Capital Improvement Plan, a new master plan for other town parks, debate over artificial turf, recently adopted rules to permit lighting at more athletic fields, the addition of pickleball courts and more. 

The department also will have a role in deciding the future of two controversial issues: Baron’s South open space and the Westport Community Gardens.

During his tenure in New Britain, Barbieri led projects to remodel two decaying parks. That included adding paths to connect areas in one of the parks, installing a splash pad, picnic pavilion and playground; redoing the parking lot and building a small Parks and Recreation Department administration building in one park. The other refurbished park got a new pool, new bathhouse, diving well and play structures for younger children. 

He believes in maintaining open space in parks for passive recreation, he said, as well as program areas, with connections in between.

His New Britain job also included maintaining a 27-hole golf course, managing cemeteries and overseeing programs for people with disabilities, veterans and seniors. 

“I look forward to collaboration between parks and rec and the senior center” in Westport, he said, including working with the center’s staff to provide recreational opportunities.

“Westport has done a great job of making sure that they have recreational facilities for all ages,” he said.

A long commute

Barbieri, the father of four daughters ages 17 to 26, is a resident of Glastonbury. 

The new job will require a long commute, he said, but his schedule has been worked out so that he works in Westport from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and remotely in the late afternoon, he told the Parks Advisory Committee at its meeting last week. He will also be hiring a new parks superintendent in the next few weeks, replacing Michael West, who left in January for a job as assistant parks and recreation director in Ridgefield.

“I’m really excited for this opportunity, and am looking forward to working collaboratively with all the commissions and committees to get things done,” Barbieri said. 

“Westport has beautiful parks and facilities … Parks and Recreation are a key, integral part of any community.”

Freelance writer Gretchen Webster, a Fairfield County journalist for many years, was editor of the Fairfield Minuteman and has taught journalism at New York and Southern Connecticut State universities.