Woburn's Connie McGilvray Named 2021 Commonwealth Hero

Press release from state Rep. Richard Haggerty:

Connie McGilvray was recently honored as a member of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women’s (MCSW) 2021 class of Commonwealth Heroines. Representative Richard M. Haggerty (D-Woburn) recommended Connie for this recognition for her continued contributions and dedication to the Woburn community and the many boards she serves on. She was honored last week with the other Commonwealth Heroines for her outstanding contributions, with the MCSW virtually celebrating the eighteenth-annual Commonwealth Heroines Class of 2021.

“Connie has been an integral part of the Woburn community for decades, and I was so pleased to nominate her as a Commonwealth Heroine,” said Representative Haggerty. “Her service the past 24 years as a board member and leader of the Woburn Friends of VNA Hospice & Palliative Care has resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars being raised to support terminally ill patients in need, offer bereavement support, train volunteers, and offer vital care to local residents. Her impressive professional career prepared her well for her work not only on the Friends of VNA Board but also as an original Director on the Woburn Public Library Foundation. Her efforts to build strong public support for the renovation of the historic Woburn Public Library played an important role in the completion of the $32-million-dollar public project. Words like kind, inclusive, organized, and smart are just some of the characteristics that sets Connie apart and makes her a Commonwealth Heroine.”

Connie currently is the Vice Chair of the Woburn Friends of VNA Hospice and Pallative care, a group of volunteers dedicated to raising awareness of and support for hospice care, where she has been instrumental in leading fundraising events for the organization for many years. Additionally, she finds time to volunteer at Winchester Hospital and is the Treasurer of the Friends of Winchester Hospital, an auxiliary of the hospital. Connie also is the founding Director and current Treasurer of the Woburn Public Library Foundation, along with being a member of the Woburn Cultural Council.

For many years Connie was one of the lead organizers of the Step Out for Hospice event held annually in Woburn, with the event featuring a Fun Run for kids, 3-Mile Walk, and 5-Mile Road Race. Every year towards the end of September people from across the region look forward to converging on the Irish-American Club in the city to support hospice care.

The Commonwealth Heroines are women who don’t make the new but make the difference. Thousands of women in every community of the state perform unheralded acts on a daily basis that make our homes, neighborhoods, cities, and towns better places to live. Commonwealth Heroines use their time, talent, spirit, and enthusiasm to enrich the lives of others in their community. They are mentors, volunteers, and innovators who strive to protect and represent the interests of seniors, victims of violence, children, immigrants, and other vulnerable populations. They are the glue that keeps a community together.

The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women is an independent state agency that was legislatively created in 1998 to advance women of the Commonwealth to full equality in all areas of life and to promote their rights and opportunities. The MCSW provides a permanent, effective voice for the women of Massachusetts.

This press release was produced by Rep. Richard Haggerty's office. The views expressed are the author's own.