In our Meet the Boards & Commissions series, MyRye.com will introduce readers to the boards and commissions of the City of Rye and the residents who run them. All volunteers, these residents give their time and expertise to keep our city running. The series is intended to bring visibility to what each board and commission does, its priorities and what might prompt a resident or another person or company to interact with the group.
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Meet the Rye Sustainability Committee and its Chair Hilary Garland.
Your Name: Hilary Garland
Board or Commission: Rye Sustainability Committee
Your role: Chair
MyRye.com: What is the charter for your Committee?
Garland: The Rye Sustainability Committee’s mission is to draft and assist in the implementation of a sustainability plan for the City of Rye while addressing significant environmental issues in the community.
- Climate Smart Communities: a New York State program that provides a framework for municipalities to address climate change. We received Bronze certification in 2024 after completing several actions that save energy, reduce waste and lower greenhouse gas emissions. We are now working towards our Silver certification.
- Healthy Yards Program: promotes best practices for yard care, encouraging Rye residents to eliminate the use of pesticides and herbicides and plant native pollinators.
- Residential Food Scrap Recycling program to reduce waste and create a soil additive in the form of compost that enriches our soil. There are two food scrap drop-off sites: Disbrow Park and Highland Street Parking Lot. Compost Giveback Day occurs annually in the spring.
Looking at 2026, what will be your top initiatives?
Garland:
- Working with the City through the Climate Smart Communities Task Force to implement more actions that decrease energy use, adopt clean renewable energy, protect our natural resources and build resilience from climate hazards like flooding, severe storms, excessive heat and sea level rise. Our top priority in 2026 is advancing Rye’s Government Operations Climate Action Plan (GOCAP). GOCAP is a structured roadmap to reduce municipal greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2030 and put Rye on track for CSC Silver Status. This work sits at the intersection of our Climate Smart Communities obligations and the City’s upcoming Comprehensive Plan.
- Promoting Sustainable Westchester’s rooftop solar program for the city, homeowners and commercial properties. Sustainable Westchester assesses the solar potential and connects you with partner installers for competitive quotes. With rising electricity rates, there’s never been a better time to install solar.
- Expanding Pollinator Pathway/Healthy Yards program that is supported by the Rye CCAC, Rye Nature Center, Little Garden Club of Rye and the Rye Garden Club. Participants pledge not to use chemical fertilizers or pesticides and plant native trees, shrubs or flowers to create a welcoming habitat for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. In exchange for implementing healthy yard practices that support our ecosystems, you will receive a Pollinator Pathway sign for your yard.
Would you be supportive of your meetings being broadcast and recorded by the City for public viewing?
Garland: Yes.
Are written agendas and written meeting minutes available?
Garland: Yes.
Are your meetings currently recorded?
Garland: No.
What are your key performance indicators (KPIs)?
Garland: Certification milestones in the CSC program are our primary KPI, specifically earning Silver Status by 2027. Supporting metrics include the number of CSC actions completed, municipal GHG emissions reductions tracked against our 40% by 2030 target, resident participation in programs like food scrap recycling, solar adoption rates, and pollinator pledge sign-ups.
Who is the City Council liaison to your Committee for 2026? Garland: James Ward was our liaison in 2025 and will remain the liaison in 2026.
Tell us about the residents or others you interact with at your Committee. Garland: Residents mostly reach out to the Committee if they have an environmental concern and want to learn what the city is planning, or they are interested in finding out more about our programs. We also interact with residents through our educational outreach programs and events.
When was your Committee chartered by the City of Rye?
Garland: In 2010, the Rye City Council directed three members of the City’s Conservation Commission Advisory Council (CC/AC) to study the feasibility of establishing a municipal sustainability committee. At a September 27, 2010, City Council workshop, CC/AC members presented their findings and stressed the need for a sustainability committee to draft and implement a Rye Sustainability Plan that would incorporate the City’s sustainability goals and initiatives. On October 10, 2010, the City Council passed a resolution forming the Rye Sustainability Committee (RSC) with nine volunteer members from the community.
Looking back across 2025, what were your committee’s top achievements?
Garland:
- The successful launch of the 250 Acorns to Oaks program, a community-driven initiative dedicated to restoring and expanding the native oak population across public and private properties in Rye. Spearheaded by Councilmember James Ward—former Chair of the Rye Sustainability Committee—this project brings together individuals, students, and organizations to plant the seeds of long-term ecological resilience.
The goal is to have 250 saplings planted by homeowners, local organizations and the City of Rye, marking the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Oak trees are “keystone” species essential to our local ecosystem, supporting more than 450 species of insects, birds, and small mammals. By increasing the number of native oaks in our community, we are strengthening the foundation of Rye’s biodiversity for generations to come.
The first wave of sapling distribution began in the fall of 2025 and approximately 200 saplings were planted in the ground. The second wave of saplings will be planted this year.
- Introducing the Sustainable Westchester Solar program to homeowners, a free service that reviews the rooftop solar potential of your home and connects you with vetted solar installers. These installers meet strict quality requirements and provide competitive proposals and financing options.
- We were awarded a grant to refresh the City of Rye’s Natural Resources Inventory which was originally created in 1979. A Natural Resources Inventory catalogs a community’s ecological assets such as wetlands, wildlife corridors, tree canopy and serves as a foundation for both climate resilience planning and the City’s Comprehensive Plan update.
Tell us about you:
How long have you been in your current role?
Garland: I have been a member of the Rye Sustainability Committee since 2022 and was appointed Chair in January 2025.
Who appointed you to this position, and what year were you appointed?
Garland: The City Council at the beginning of 2025
Besides yourself, who is the longest serving person on your committee?
Garland: Linda Mackay
When does your current appointed term expire?
Garland: There is no expiration date for the chair of the Rye Sustainability Committee or its members.
What is your day job?
Garland: Having left a career in marketing to focus on raising our children, I spent the last 25 years as a volunteer in various leadership roles in Rye and Port Chester, including at SPRYE and Open Door.
How much time does your role require in a typical month?
Garland: I spend between 15-20 hours a month on RSC work.
If I took you to Jerry’s or Oakland Beach Deli for lunch this week, what would you order?
Garland: Caesar Wrap
Where do you live in Rye and how many years have you lived in the City?
Garland: We live on Kirby Lane and have lived in Rye for 25 years.
Thanks Hilary!
Learn More:
2025 Profile
Main Rye Sustainability Committee page on the City website
Members of the Committee:
Hilary Garland, Chair
Suzanne Clary
Chris Cohan
DJ (Deron) Haley
Linda Mackay
Rob Motto
Jeff Prosserman
Donna Providenti
