About >> Environmental Service Awards

Henry Kozloski
Long Time Service

Henry has served the Agawam Commission for 30 years, 20 years as Chair and also Chairs the town’s Community Preservation Act Committee.  Henry’s indelible impact can be seen in his work to promote and create parks in Agawam. In 2008 the town dedicated the new multi-use School Street Park and he is credited with reviving Agawam's long neglected, Pynchon Park by securing a $75,000 state grant. Henry recently worked closely with the Office of Planning and Community Development in the design and construction of the Connecticut River Walk and Bikeway. In addition to his long time service and leadership, he is praised for being a mentor to new commissioners. The Director of Planning and Community Development, Deborah Dachos sums Henry’s contribution to the Town of Agawam up well, “He is a leader. He has worked with many Conservation Commission members over the years. He works to build consensus among his Commission members who have a high degree of respect for his dedication and diligence.”

Louise Ahearn
Outstanding Conservation Leadership

Louise served the Winchester commission for a decade, many of those years as Chair. She has volunteered for over 30 years to build and support the Winchester Trails group and has written trail guides and floristic surveys of conservation lands.  Louise has been closely involved in implementing conservation restrictions, initiating a street tree program, developing land stewardship plans and updating the Winchester Open Space and Recreation Plan. According to local resident Nancy Lin, “To ensure that these lovely spaces would be accessible to all, Louise has spent over thirty years working with town officials, Eagle Scouts and enthusiastic volunteers to help develop trail systems throughout many acres of these conservation lands with special consideration to those that require wheelchair accessibility, the visually impaired and those with special needs.” Louise is known for her outreach to school children and integration of environmental education into the local school’s science curriculum, an effort that has impacted thousands of Winchester school children.

Anne Gagnon
Conservation Administrator of the Year

Anne has been the administrator of the Shirley Conservation Commission since 1995; prior to working for the Town of Shirley she worked for the North Andover and Wilmington Conservation Commissions. She has demonstrated an ability to handle a tremendous workload with a positive approach and an engaging style – all on a part-time schedule. During her tenure in Shirley over 1,200 acres of land has been protected with her assistance, guidance and support, all without a dedicated fund for open space. Anne helped pass a stormwater control bylaw in 2008 and a new wetlands bylaw in 2005, and she was instrumental in certifying over a dozen vernal pools (prior to 1995 none were certified).   According to her nomination by Joseph Lynch, Director of the Department of Public Works, “Anne is very much more than a Conservation Administrator. Her combined skills of education, technical knowledge, dedicated work ethic and organizational skills truly make her an extraordinary Environmentalist; an environmentalist who rallies legions of others in support of her varied missions of protecting our quality of life and enjoyment of our great outdoors.”