Mildred “Milly” Calrson Awarded the Jacqueline B. Nixon Community Service Award

Mildred “Milly” Carlson is the recipient of the 2013 Jacqueline B. Nixon Community Service Award for her many years of “Giving Back to the Community”. The award was presented to Carlson at the annual City of Groton Day celebration on August 2.  As a symbol of the award each year, the Community Service Award winner is presented a Hitchcock arm chair. 

Groton Utilities named the award, The Jacqueline B. Nixon Community Service Award, to commemorate Mrs. Nixon’s service to her community. Jackie, as she was known to most, operated a food pantry in her residence for 24 years.  She distributed food on a regular basis to many needy families.  Jackie passed away July 6, 2004 after a brief battle with cancer.  Groton Utilities created the award in 2004 during its 100th anniversary year. 

The Selection Committee concluded that of the nominations received, Carlson met or exceeded the established criteria for the award, citing her tireless efforts in volunteering her time to give back to the community. She has distinguished herself in many areas of community service from education to the arts to historic preservation to fundraising for non-profit organizations. 

Carlson served on the local committee, which resulted in the establishment of the historic district in the Eastern Point section of the City of Groton. She later served on the Commission that oversees the district, including serving as its secretary. 

One of the newest events in the Groton community in the past several years has been Art on Groton, an art exhibit on the grounds of the Bill Memorial Library.  Carlson was one of five founders of this yearly mid-summer event, which brings artists and audiences to the historic Groton Bank area.

Carlson has served the education community in different ways.  She originated and implemented fundraisers, specifically House Tours of Homes in the Eastern Point area, for the Groton Education Foundation.  These tours raised $20,000 for teacher grants.  On a more intimate involvement, she was a mentor in the Groton Mentoring Program to a young girl and city resident for seven years. 

And she has been generous to a fault by offering her home to non-profit groups for fundraising opportunities.   

Elizabeth Carlson, in nominating her mother for the award, said “I feel my mother should be your next service award winner, as she continues to exemplify the very meaning of this award – “Giving back to the Community.”  She emphasized that her mother continues to reside in the City, where she has lived since 1957 and raised her family of four children, and added that “she continues to proudly contribute her time, energy and resources in making our community a great place in which to live and work.”

Previous winners have been: Earle A. Williams, Robert “Bob” Leeney, Mimi Orkney, Lillian “Lil” Hansen, Sarah Stanley, William “Bill” Welsh, Jr., Alfred Restivo, Robert “Bob” Austin LaFrance, and Archie C. Swindell. 

The award honors a member of the community who has contributed his or her time, energy and resources to make the community a better place in which to live and work.  The nominee’s contributions to the community should make other

Citizens describe the nominee as generous, committed, and other similar admirable qualities, which exemplify “service.”