On Thursday, October 12, 2023 the Town of Douglas held its first annual Employment Recognition event in the Municipal Center gym to honor employees who have “gone above and beyond” as public servants.

The theme this year was commitment.  A volunteer committee of Town workers, including Town Clerk Christine Furno, Asst. Town Clerk Lisa Postma, Principal Assessor Chris Pupka, Benefits and Payroll Administrator Holly Cotnoir, Adult Social Center Director Patrice Rousseau, Executive Assistant to the Selectboard Lisa Freeman, and Town Administrator Matt Wojcik, decided to celebrate the extraordinary number of Douglas Town employees, past and current, who have dedicated over twenty years of their working lives to the Town.  All told, there are 17 current and 26 retired, living former employees who worked for the Town for more than 20 years as of July 1, 2023.  

Current members include, in alphabetical order:

Ray Begin                                          Highway                                                   21 years

Gail Bowen                                         Library                                                     21 years

Mike Cahill                                          Highway, Fire                                          30 years

Pam Carter                                         Tax Collection                                          36 years

Mark Dunleavy                                    Police                                                      31 years

Brett Fulone                                        Police                                                      34 years

Adam Furno                                       Highway                                                   25 years

Christine Furno                                  Town Clerk                                               25 years

John Furno                                         Highway, Fire                                           31 years

Greg Gilbert                                       Police                                                       29 years

Julie Kessler                                      Tax Assessor, Board of Health                 25 years

Aaron McLaughlin                              Police                                                      28 years

Ernie Marks                                        Highway, Emergency Management        44 years

MaryBeth Mello                                  Highway                                                  25 years

Nick Miglionico                                   Police                                                      26 years

Patrice Rousseau                               Adult Social Center                                 23 years

Debra Soderman                                Library                                                     22 years

Current employees received a uniform polo embroidered with the text “Exceptional Service” and a rendition of the Douglas Tiger mascot.  The Tiger, painted by Rose Minior, was the highlight of the gym wall of the Municipal Center, which once served as the Town’s high school.  Poised to make a decisive move, the Tiger was inadvertently painted over several years ago, but is now resurrected as a symbol of Douglas pride.

The Committee also worked to acknowledge living retirees and former employees who worked for the Town for more than two decades.  The group will work to research town records to determine all who have met that threshold for future recognition.  All retired/former members will be memorialized on plaques hung on the walls of the Town’s Resource Room, where various Town board conduct their business.   Retirees and former employees honored included:

Mary-Ellen Aubin                Library                                                 31 years

Marleen Bacon                   Board of Health                                   28 years

David J. Brown                   Police                                                  34 years

Patricia Brule                      Public Safety / Dispatch                      35 years                   

Philip A. Brule                     Highway                                               28 years

Anne M. Burgess                Tax Collector                                        25 years

Ann Carlsson                       Library                                                 29 years 

Patrick Colonero                  Facilities                                              27 years

Bill Cundiff                           Town Engineer                                     21 years  

Eileen F. Damore                 Asst. Town Clerk / Tax Collection        29 years

Patrick Foley                        Police                                                  22 years

David Furno                         Highway                                              23 years

Glenn G. Gilbert                   Police                                                  30 years

Mark Kaminski                      Police                                                  29 years

Suzanne Kane                      Board of Selectmen/TA                       20 years

John R. Koslak                     Police                                                   29 years                              

Pauline L. Labrecque            Fire                                                      25 years                               

Maria D. Lajoie                      Community Development                    28 years              

Hilda-Jane Lanpher               Building Office                                     20 years              

Beth MacKay                         Assessors’ Office                                 28 years                              

Bettyann J. McCallum           Town Clerk, Highway                           28 years               

Ida A. Ouillette                       Assessor’s Office                                 22 years 

Louise Redding                     Town Accountant                                  21 years

Kent F. Vinson                        Fire                                                      26 years 

Susan E. White                      Public Safety / Dispatch                      33 years

Steve Zisk                              Conservation                                       23 years

Administrator Wojcik noted, “At a time when it is so hard to recruit people into public service, our appreciation of those who have been so loyal and diligent on behalf of the Town, for so long, grows. The vast majority of those honored are not only employees, they are long time residents and taxpayers of Douglas. Their dedication has been selfless and their service, exceptional.”

The Douglas Selectboard will be formalizing a detailed employee recognition policy over the next few months.  This event featured food, decorations and awards donated by Town employees; the only exception were the plaques that will remain in the Municipal Center as permanent recognition for qualified retirees and former employees, which were funded from the Town budget.