Acton Announces 2019 Joseph A. Lalli Merit Award Recipients

ACTON, MA — The two recipients of this year's Joseph A. Lalli Merit Award in Acton were announced. Interim Planning Director Kristen Guichard and Acton Fire Lt. James Byrne will share the honor this year.

The award is given annually to a municipal employee and a public safety employee to recognize their exemplary service to the public from the previous year. Guichard was named the Municipal Employee of the Year and Byrne was named the Public Safety Employee of the Year.

In previous years, the award was presented during the annual Town Meeting in April. However, this year's ceremony was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and held virtually on Sept. 25. The families of the recipients and approximately 140 employees attended the virtual event.

“Congratulations to Kristen on this well-deserved recognition,” Land Use and Economic Development Director Matthew Selby said. “She has shown incredible dedication and commitment to her work and the residents of Acton, and proven to be an invaluable team member and leader in her department.”

Guichard has worked for Acton since 2012, starting off as the assistant planner for the Land Use department. Now, she is focused primarily on managing the day-to-day operations of the Planning Division.

She has also helped with the development and implementation of several projects in town, including the addition of a bike share program along the Assabet River Rail Trail and in West Acton.

She has served as the local project manager for the Assabet River Rail Trail and is currently managing the complete streets infrastructure project for Kelley's Corner at the intersection of Routes 111 and 27.

"Working for the Acton community has been a great experience, mostly due to my fellow co-workers and residents whom I have had the pleasure of working with. I look forward to more great years ahead," Guichard said.

Byrne joined the Acton Fire Department in 2009 after starting his career at the Stow Fire Department. He has over 14 years of fire service experience and his father is a retired Maynard Firefighter.

“Lt. Byrne shows great courage, skill and compassion in his role, and carries out the diverse responsibilities of the members of the Acton Fire Department with distinction,” Fire Chief Robert Hart said.

Byrne was promoted to his current rank in 2018 and serves as a member of the department’s Training Division. He also helps with the upgrades, maintenance and repairs of the town’s municipal fire alarm system so that the fire department is immediately notified should a community member activate any of the fire alarm boxes throughout the town. He also helps to educate community members by presenting on topics related to the opioid epidemic, such as the use of Narcan.

"The Town of Acton has been great to me over the past 11 years and truly is an amazing place to work," Byrne said. "I can’t say enough good things about the men and women I work with every day."