On May 22, the Select Board honored five Acton residents by bestowing Colonel Francis Faulkner Sr. Exemplary Volunteer of the Year awards to Pat Clifford, Peter Darlow, Michaela Moran, Sahana Purohit, and John Watlington.
In a ceremony in the Meeting Room of Acton Memorial Library, the honorees were recognized for “exemplary volunteer service to the Town of Acton, thereby enhancing the Town Culture and lives of Acton residents, through dedicated and longstanding membership on Town Boards or Committees.” The Faulkner Award was established in 2018, and named after the commander of the West Acton militia company in the Revolutionary War.
Each Select Board member nominated one award recipient, and introduced their nominee at the ceremony. The program provided details on each volunteer’s efforts:
Pat Clifford
Pat and her husband have lived in Acton since 1998, and both their sons attended the Acton-Boxborough schools, graduating in 2004 and 2007. Pat’s professional career before she retired in 2021 was in government at the local and national levels, and her volunteer contributions to the Acton community have been extensive, positive, and impactful as a result of this background. Pat serves currently as a member of the Planning Board, Citizens’ Library Governance Advisory Committee, Kelley’s Corner Steering Committee, and substitute Clerk for the Acton Leadership Group (ALG). She has previously served on the Town Meeting Improvement Committee, Town Manager Search Committee, and Finance Committee. As a Finance Committee member, her liaison roles included the ALG, Life After NESWC [North East Solid Waste Consortium], and the South Acton Train Station Advisory Committee.
[Editors’ note: Pat also serves on the Letters Committee for the Acton Exchange.]
Peter Darlow
Peter Darlow moved to Acton in 2000 with his wife, Sandy Roschelle, and their two children, Ryan and Lindsay, both of whom graduated from Acton-Boxborough. Peter is a seasoned architect with 45 years experience, with the last 33 as owner and principal of the architectural practice, Darlow Christ Architects, focused on local commercial, retail, and university design. Peter has been involved in a variety of local activities and committees such as coaching in the Acton Boxborough Youth Soccer program, Assistant Coach in the Acton Boxborough Recreational Basketball program, member of the Acton Conservation Trust, member and Chair of the Design Review Board, and member of the Kelley’s Corner Steering Committee.
Michaela Moran
Michaela Moran has lived in South Acton for 40 years with her husband, Eugene. She’s raised four children, including a daughter who, along with a couple of Michaela’s grandchildren, lives in Acton. Michaela has been on numerous Town committees. Currently, she is on the Planning Board and Open Space Committee. In the past, she’s been on the CPC [Community Preservation Committee], SATSAC [South Acton Train Station Advisory Committee], and HDC [Historic District Commission], including the study committee that helped establish the HDC. Michaela’s biggest volunteer contribution is to Iron Work Farm [IWF]. Iron Work Farm is the premiere historical preservation organization in Acton. As the owner of the Faulkner Homestead and Jones Tavern in South Acton’s Mill Corner, IWF holds many community outreach activities, such as their Patriots Day gathering, spring egg hunt, fall tap room, etc. Michaela has been involved with Iron Work Farm for decades. She is their current president. It’s a huge volunteer effort that benefits our entire community.
Sahana Purohit
Sahana’s dedication to the community is truly unparalleled, and her contributions profoundly impact our community. Sahana spearheaded India Day in Acton: the celebration of India’s Independence, which is commemorated every August by raising India’s flag in front of Town Hall and is going into its sixth year. Sahana has been appointed by Governor Healy to serve on the Acton Housing Authority, is chair of the Acton Democratic Town Committee, and also sits on the Discovery Museum Board. Sahana has also served on the Finance Committee, the Town Manager Search Committee, the Acton 2020 Committee, and was co-chair of the Acton-area League of Women Voters.
John Watlington
John is a native of Tennessee and Peru, but has called the Boston area his home for the past 42 years. He and his wife have been Acton residents since 2000, and raised two sons here. He regrets not joining the Acton Land Stewards Committee [LSC] until 2013. Since then, he has been Land Steward for Great Hill Conservation Area, served briefly as LSC Chair, and is now a Land Steward at-large, concentrating on invasive plant removal across all of Acton’s Conservation areas. He has recently been concentrating on the Arboretum, Morrison Farm, and the edges of Icehouse Pond.