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The Monday, August 12 meeting of the Sudbury Conservation Commission included a surprise announcement. Chair Dave Henkels informed the commissioners and the attendees of the meeting that Lori Capone, Sudbury’s Conservation Coordinator, had been honored with the Distinguished Public Service Award by the Sudbury Valley Trustees.
Henkels offered broader comments on public service leading up to the announcement:
“Residents in all towns expect those municipal services provided to be done efficiently and effectively by the town’s staff and/or its boards. We pay our taxes and collectively acknowledge that the necessary work required to maintain the integrity of a town’s infrastructure will be carried on day to day. Those folks that provide a response to those demands are often times inadvertently ignored.
The Board of Health, Planning, Social Workers, Fire and Police Departments, DPW, Parks and Recreation, Facilities, the Cemetery Employees, IT, all of whom provide vital services to the residents of Sudbury. No doubt I am missing some folks. And these individuals are principally working for the greater good of the community. The actions these individuals take are not based on their own welfare but on the welfare of the community to which they serve. Again, it’s easy to take for granted the extraordinary impact these individuals have on our daily lives. If you have an opportunity, please give a positive shout out to a staff member or a volunteer. That simple act of kindness can provide an even greater incentive to whom you direct your comment. And perhaps even yourself.”
Then he delivered the news and congratulated Capone:
As you know the Town of Sudbury and the Sudbury Valley Trustees have a symbiotic relationship in that they both encourage natural resource and open space protection.
Dave Henkels, Chair — Sudbury Conservation Commission
Lori Capone is our Conservation Coordinator. I am extremely proud and privileged to announce that the Board of Directors of Sudbury Valley Trustees has chosen Lori Capone the Distinguished Public Service Award for the calendar year 2024. This award honors a Public Servant who has demonstrated exceptional leadership on environmental issues at a local, state and or national level. Loris commitment to natural resource protection, land stewardship and education has been exemplary. Lori, well done. Well done.
Commissioners shared their congratulations with Capone, and emphasized that the honor was well-deserved. Some commissioners noted they were scared, as Henkels was delivering his comments, that he would announce Capone was leaving her post. Commissioners voiced relief when it turned out that wasn’t the case, and added their excitement to hear the good news. The exchange highlighted how deeply the commissioners valued and appreciated Capone’s expertise, hard work, and contributions to Sudbury.
Capone joins a group of public service professionals who have previously been recognized for their significant contributions to land conservation and preservation. In 2023, the award was given to Christine A. Berry, Land Protection Specialist at the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. In 2022, it was awarded to Carolyn MacDonald of Berlin, who served on the Town’s Conservation Commission.