Acton election day is coming right up; signs have sprouted in yards, and mail-in ballots are showing up in mailboxes. This election, along with Town Meeting, is how you can make your voice heard.
This year, the following candidates are running in contested races. For positions on the School Committee and Select Board, be aware that you can vote for multiple candidates. To hear what each candidate has to say, you can view the League of Women Voters forum from April 9 on ActonTV. In addition, at this link you can see the School Committee candidates’ responses to questions from Mike Balulescu, president of the Acton Boxborough Education Association.
Thank you to all of the candidates. Just by running, you are a winner for democracy!
You can find a sample ballot on the Town Elections website.
School Committee candidates – Vote for three
Dennis Burianek
I believe the success of our school system is rooted in the combined efforts of our students, engaged families and community members, and our top-flight educators. I want to serve our community and ensure that our students, faculty, and administrators all are able to reach their full potential and have access to the services and resources they need to succeed.
My wife and I moved to Acton in 2008, when our oldest child was entering kindergarten, largely due to the top-tier school system. We have two children who completed K-12, one child in high school, and one in 7th grade. Our family has experienced every level of education in the Acton-Boxborough school system. My background as an engineer, a project manager, and a transformation leader provides me with a skillset beneficial to the school committee. My career has honed my ability to synthesize data and information and ask the deeper questions that help teams address root issues. I thrive in environments where teams of people need to come together and solve difficult and complex problems. We are all part of this community, and I want to be a part of strengthening it for the future.
Website: dennisburianek.org
Tori Campbell, incumbent
I was first elected to the School Committee in 2023.
My family moved to Acton in 2018 for its strong schools and community, and we first experienced our district as parents. Our children attended McCarthy-Towne and RJ Grey – one is now a graduate, one attends ABRHS.
I’m an educator, Army veteran, and current chair of the School Committee. I spent more than 20 years as a U.S. Army Officer, including teaching at West Point, before earning two master’s degrees in education from Harvard and becoming a teacher.
Over the past three years, I’ve focused on strengthening our district’s financial sustainability while protecting educational quality. I’ve worked with town leaders on budgets, advocated for the 2024 override to preserve staff, and helped secure more than $700,000 in additional state aid.
I know we are asking a great deal of families, students, and educators through AB Forward’s elementary reorganization. These are difficult but necessary changes to protect strong schools for current and future students.
This year is a pivotal transition. I am the only Acton incumbent on the ballot as we implement AB Forward and select a new superintendent, and I bring the experience and steady leadership to see this work through.
Website: https://www.victoriacampbell.org/
Daniel Carroll
The Acton Exchange did not receive a response.
Jacob Fay
I’m Jacob Fay, and I’m running for School Committee.
I’m an Acton dad with two boys in our elementary schools. I’m deeply committed to the Acton-Boxborough community. I coach youth sports and just finished serving as president of the Pats Hill Recreation Club.
I’ve also spent my career in education. I began as a middle school American history teacher. I earned a doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, studying what communities need to navigate school closures and reorganizations well. I now lead work at a nonprofit that helps colleges and universities navigate difference and disagreement.
I’m running because the next School Committee faces three decisions that will define this district’s next decade.
AB Forward. I want to ensure the elementary transition is executed with accountability and transparency — and that it never comes at the expense of the programs and people that make every AB school exceptional.
The budget. Enrollment is declining, costs are rising, and state funding hasn’t kept pace. We need careful, thoughtful financial stewardship. I want to use the flexibility the reorganization affords us to protect classrooms, sustain direct student services, and retain our exceptional educators.
The superintendent search. Acton-Boxborough will hire a new superintendent this year. We don’t need a reinventor. Our district needs a skilled, steady executive who can deliver AB Forward and earn this community’s investment year after year.
Decisions about schools are never just about buildings and budgets — they’re also about our kids, communities, and the kind of place we want to live in together. That’s why I’m in this race, and I’d be honored to have your vote on April 28.
Website: https://jfayp05.github.io/jacobfayschoolcommittee/
Diego Represa
I am an aerospace engineer, father of four, and current resident of Acton originally from Madrid. I am an avid cyclist and hiker. I value curiosity, responsibility, and resilience — qualities I hope to help cultivate in the next generation. As a School Committee candidate, I believe in addressing issues holistically and looking beyond quick fixes to understand root causes.
My main goals as a School Committee member are to bring the conversation back to education, to the specific challenges that kids and teachers are facing every day, especially around the impact of new technologies in the development of our kids. To create academic consistency across all the schools, since open enrollment is not an option for us as parents anymore. Finally, to develop a realistic long-term plan that solves the budget issue within our current economical constraints by prioritizing goals and by looking for additional revenue sources like, for example, increasing the utilization of our current facilities with off school hours activities.
I believe the next School Committee members have a unique opportunity to shape education in Acton-Boxborough for years to come and I would like to contribute to such important duty.
Website: https://diegoforab.com/
Natasha Sikorski-Onken
My family chose Acton as our home in large part for the strength of the Acton-Boxborough schools. My wife and I now have two children in elementary school, so the decisions our district makes are personal to us. I volunteer actively through the PTO and have served on my school’s Culture Ambassador Committee, the district’s Vision of a Graduate project, and the AB Forward process.
Professionally, I bring 25 years of experience in higher education administration and currently serve as Dean of Student Financial Services at Harvard Law School. I have worked through changing student needs, shifting institutional priorities, and tight budgets, always focused on responsible, student-centered solutions. I listen carefully, ask hard questions, and work to build consensus across perspectives. I see firsthand the skills students need to thrive in college, careers, and life–insight I will bring directly to this role.
The elementary reorganization is pushing our community into new territory and will directly affect my children and their classmates. I share many residents’ questions and concerns about how we got here, and I want to help shape how we move forward, protecting what makes AB strong while embracing thoughtful change, innovation, and improvement for all students here.
Website: https://www.natashaforabschools.com/
Select Board candidates – Vote for two
Daniel Carroll
The Acton Exchange did not receive a response.
Alissa Nicol, incumbent
I’m deeply invested in Acton, and it would be a privilege to serve a second term on the Select Board. Throughout my first term, I conscientiously navigated a series of significant fiscal challenges with my colleagues, and I will continue to do so. I prioritize thorough preparation for matters that come before the board, while also supporting the essential work of our volunteer boards and committees. Providing the public with timely, accurate, and comprehensive information is fundamental to effective governance, and I do so through open meetings, individual conversations, and digital communication.
My active participation in town initiatives — public forums, events, and workshops — strengthens my ability to ask informed questions and make decisions aligned with community-driven priorities. I am committed to continuous learning, engaging with experts and peers from other municipalities and agencies through conferences, trainings, and collaborative working groups.
The scope of this role is broad, and I am eager to continue contributing across key areas of governance: affordability, accessibility, public safety, public health, historic preservation, natural resource protection, sustainability, and education. I pledge to continue building consensus, fostering meaningful connections, and responding thoughtfully to the needs of our community. I would appreciate your vote; thank you!
Website: https://www.alissaforacton.org/
Pamela Nourse
Acton has been my home for 33 years, and I’ve seen first-hand how local government decisions shape everyday life. I’m running for Select Board because I care deeply about Acton’s future and about keeping our town welcoming, affordable, and accessible for people at every stage of life.
For over 10 years, I have been Acton’s representative to the Minuteman School Committee and recently retired as the Executive Director of the Federation for Children with Special Needs. These experiences have shown me the importance of steady, thoughtful leadership. The Select Board sets the tone for how we balance growth and preservation, manage our finances, support town services, and plan responsibly for the future. These decisions may not always be flashy, but they matter enormously.
I will bring a collaborative, problem-solving approach to the role. I believe in listening carefully to residents, asking informed and sometimes tough questions, and working with town staff and fellow board members to find solutions that reflect our shared values.
Acton is a strong community because people care and are engaged. I would be honored to serve to help ensure that Acton continues to be a place where people can afford to live, feel included, and thrive.
Website: https://pamnourseforacton.org/
Water District Commissioner – Vote for one
For in-depth reporting about the Water District Commissioner candidates, see Q&A with 2026 candidates for Water District Commissioner.
John Petersen
The Acton Water District (AWD) has supplied water to the residents of Acton for more than a century. My wife, Cheryl, and I have been living and working in Acton for almost forty years.
For fifty years, I’ve been a scientist in the field of chemistry, earning an undergraduate degree in chemistry from MIT and a PhD from the University of California – Berkeley. In the course of drug development, I’ve acquired expertise in analytical and process chemistry as well as toxicology. I’ve managed global programs with annual budgets of millions of dollars including commercial operations. During my seven years as a school committee member, I’ve presented the school budget to Town Meeting five times and served as a member of the Acton Leadership Group (ALG) which balances municipal and educational needs. As a member of the AWD finance committee, I’ve delivered the opening presentation for the AWD annual meeting both of the past two years.
The governance roles of Acton’s Boards (AWD, Select Board, School Committee) are challenging. Due to the experience and expertise of the managers (AWD Manager Matt Mosteller) it is easy for boards to support leadership and difficult to provide a thoughtful critique of budgets and capital plans. By background and temperament, as a commissioner, I will provide a voice that strengthens the AWD.
Stephen Stuntz, incumbent
Since my father was a newspaperman, I spent my childhood in Latin America. I came to Boston for college, attending MIT and Harvard Business School. From Boston we moved on to Acton and have been here for over 50 years.
All five of our children were raised here in Acton and attended the AB schools. As I became familiar with the town, I wanted to find a way to give back to the community, grateful for the quality of life it provided for the family my wife, Lees, and I raised together. My commitment to Acton combined with my experience as a businessman and treasurer in both the non-profit and profit world led to a tenure on the Acton Water District (AWD) first on the AWD’s FinCom and then later as a commissioner.
Given the substantial changes that have occurred at the AWD over the last several years (new treatment plants, new wells, solar farms, staffing changes, and land acquisitions), it is important to consolidate those gains over the next few years. My long-term perspective and history of supporting the AWD staff are important to make sure that the AWD continues to be one of the most respected independent water districts in the state.
Miriam Lezak is an Acton Exchange associate editor and occasional writer. This is the fourth year in which she has compiled candidate information for the local election.
