The human dimension of governance was front and center on April 15 as Acton honored five volunteers at an intimate gathering in the restored Asaph Parlin home in Acton Center. Individually, Select Board members nominated Joan Burrows, Lori Cooney, Greg Jarboe, Nancy Kolb and Joe Robb for their “exceptional volunteer service to the Town of Acton, thereby enhancing the Town culture and lives of Acton residents” for the 2026 Colonel Francis Faulkner, Sr Exemplary Volunteers of the Year ceremony.
About fifty friends, volunteers, town staff and family members got an early preview of the Woodbury Lane building in what Select Board Chair Dean Charter dubbed the “soft opening” of the historic structure as he introduced his award nominee, Lori Cooney. Lori’s service to the Town has spanned over a dozen years and including ten years on the Acton Council on Aging Board, service to the Cable Advisory Committee and culminating in an appointment to the Community Preservation Committee where she has served as clerk. In her remarks, Lori also spoke of her tireless work with the League of Women Voters to bring information to voters at the local level for every election.
Alissa Nicol brought forward her award nominee Joe Robb, reflecting on her introduction to him through the Water Resources Advisory Committee [Committee], which he joined in 2021 and has chaired for three years. She spoke of Joe’s transformative leadership, which energized the Committee by including all residents who logged on as participating members for the discussions. Others in town know Joe for his work with scouts for over a dozen years where he encouraged youth leadership for both young men and young women.
Joe also came forward to fill the vacant position of clerk of the Acton Water District. Acknowledging the award, Joe emphasized the value and importance of collaboration and reminded guests to check his name for Water District Clerk when they vote on April 28.
David Martin introduced Greg Jarboe as his nominee for the Faulkner Award. Martin cited Jarboe’s longtime commitment to the Town, bookended by Greg’s election to the Board of Selectmen in the early eighties and, following a forty-year stint as a parent of three, his current terms on the Finance Committee, the Department of Public Works Building Committee, and the Economic Development Committee. A career journalist, Greg also creates content for the Acton Exchange and developed a series for Acton TV called “Your Tax Dollars at Work.” In accepting his award, Greg spoke to the need for patience and deliberation, even in the face of disagreement, to get the work of government done, citing his efforts to achieve compromise in the conception of a new DPW [Department of Public Works] Building.
Retiring Select Board member Jim Snyder-Grant opened his remarks, “Joan Burrows can’t be here today: she isn’t getting out much these days, but she is still serving on the Commission on Disabilities [COD], as she has since the beginning.” Jim told of Joan’s background as a social worker and her advocacy for legislative initiatives at the federal and state levels to “make the world more fair for people with disabilities” such as the creation of the Architectural Access Board and the Massachusetts statute that enabled the creation of the Commissions at the local level, both of which preceded the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. In the mid-90s Joan became a voting member and the deep memory of the Commission. Her commitment “demonstrates a rare level of personal and civic dedication.” For forty years, Joan was Acton’s “unyielding force ensuring that the principles of fairness and access remain central to the Town of Acton.” After the event, Jim and members of the COD delivered Joan’s plaque to her at home and celebrated with her.
To close out the evening, Fran Arsenault spoke about her nominee, Nancy Kolb, current chair of the Acton Housing Authority Board of Commissioners and a long term advocate for families and children in her volunteer and professional work. During her twenty-year tenure as an elected Acton Housing Authority member, Nancy was involved in the development of Whittlesey Village and launching of the McManus Mansion project currently under construction, as well as representing housing interests on the Community Preservation Committee. In her comments, Nancy underscored her dedication to children through her work with the Doli Atamian Campership Program which provides “over 100” camperships annually to families of limited means and her joy in weekly visits to a first-grade class where she gets to know the children while sharing her favorite books.
The inspiring annual event was hosted by Town Manager John Mangiaratti who tied the venue to Acton’s historic tradition of volunteering, telling the group that the owner of the original home, Asaph Parlin, traveled with Colonel Faulkner to the Massachusetts conclave to approve the Constitution. Francis Faulkner served as an Acton Selectman and Town Clerk from 1760 to 1796 as well as Chairman of the Committee of Safety in 1775. As recipients of the Colonel Francis Faulkner Sr. Exemplary Volunteer of the Year Award, each honoree received a plaque and commemorative gift from the Acton 250 collection.
Pat Clifford has a long history of civic engagement in Acton, and was a Faulkner Award winner in 2025. She is currently on the Letters Committee of the Acton Exchange and on the Town of Acton Planning Board.
