2024 Sudbury Chamber of Commerce Community Awards
L - Kevin McCafferty, Sudbury Farms // Lori Joyal, Sudbury She Shed // James Eldridge, Ma Senate // Carmine Gentile, Ma State Rep // John “JT” Thomas, Sudbury Community Food Pantry // Martha Welsh, Board Chair Sudbury Chamber of Commerce // Nannettee LaRochelle & Paul Sahagian, Learning Express Sudbury.
L -Alex Nunes, Franco’s Trattoria, Franco’s Craft Beer, and Part owner Sudbury Point Grill, Martha Welsh, Board Chair Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, Gustavo Nunes.
Thank you Northern Bank Sudbury for sponsoring our event!
Community Awards 2024!
And the winners are…
Business of the Year—This year, we are recognizing two Sudbury businesses. It’s unusual, but both businesses deserve recognition from the Sudbury Chamber of Commerce as a present-day and retrospective appreciation of their importance in this town.
Business of the Year (1/2)
Sudbury Farms (Roche Bros.)
A family-owned neighborhood grocery store is a rarity these days, and we, in Sudbury, are fortunate to have experienced this for many years. Roche Bros. recently announced they are selling 51% of the company, meaning it will no longer be a locally owned small business. We look forward to continued high standards and community support. There is not a school or nonprofit that hasn’t benefitted from Sudbury Farms’ generosity over the years, including the Sudbury Chamber of Commerce July 4 Parade. Sudbury Farms also provides critical support to The Sudbury Community Food Pantry by allowing them the use of the walk-in freezer so the Pantry can take advantage of larger donations from the Greater Boston Food Bank. The company also supports the Greater Boston Food Bank and partners with Lovin’ Spoonful, which limits food waste and donates fresh food to people in need. Accepting the award is Sudbury Farms Store Manager Kevin McCafferty.
Business of the Year (2/2)
Learning Express
This is a bittersweet recognition. Learning Express recently announced that it is closing its Sudbury store. Social media exploded with scores of customers expressing appreciation for many years of great gifts and generosity to the community. The staff is great to work with, and products are always current and trendy, with free gift wrapping – who says no to that? We appreciate you and will miss having you in town. The award will be accepted by Owner Paul Sahagian and Manager Nanette LaRochelle.
Business Person of the Year
Alex Nunes. Owner of Franco’s Trattoria, Franco’s Craft Beer, and part owner of Sudbury Point Grill.
Alex is the owner of Franco’s Trattoria, Franco’s Craft Beer, and part owner of Sudbury Point Grill. Alex arrived in the United States from Brazil in 1994 without knowing a word of English. He started working in a restaurant, prepping food and washing dishes. We recognize him tonight for his entrepreneurial spirit, ability to turn around challenged businesses, and commitment to small businesses in Sudbury. Alex bought Franco’s Trattoria in October 2019 – a tough time to run a restaurant. Three months ago, he acquired Sudbury Craft Beer and plans to expand that business offering. Alex and Rodrigo Leite opened Sudbury Point Grill in October 2022 and created a vibrant and innovative new restaurant.
Citizen of the Year
Lori Joyal
Lori has lived in Sudbury since 1992 and has always been involved in the community, but quietly, behind the scenes. Her grandfather always said, “Self-Praise Stinks,” which has been her mantra. For 25 years, she was the official Santa for the Sudbury Post Office, secretly answering as many as 300 letters a year to Santa sent by the town’s children. She and her husband Paul curated the BIG Little Free Library on Codger Lane. In recent years, Lori recognized a shared need among many women in our community. Like so many during the early days of COVID, she turned to her love of baking. This passion led her to create Sudbury Bakes on Facebook—a thriving community of over 400 like-minded individuals. Members shared recipes and tips for finding scarce ingredients like flour and yeast, organizing a baked goods exchange that continues today. Recently, she was instrumental in organizing the Duck Soup Sky Bar Candy Cooking Contest and recipe book, with all sales proceeds going to HopeSudbury. Most notably, she has created both an online and in-person space for women, the Sudbury She Shed on Facebook, and by doing so, addressed the issue of loneliness by creating a safe space of friendship and sisterhood for hundreds of local women feeling unseen after retirement. Because of this, Lori has been asked to be part of the Massachusetts End Loneliness Coalition. One person who nominated Lori for this recognition wrote: “Lori has a heart of GOLD. She's thoughtful, warm, kind, giving, and so authentic.”
Distinguished Service Award
Sudbury Food Pantry
This award is given specifically to an active Sudbury Chamber of Commerce member. In 2019, Pat Mullin, now Executive Director Emeritus, was recognized as Citizen of the Year for the work of the Pantry. Now, in 2024, we hold up the Sudbury Community Food Pantry for its remarkable response to the ever-growing need in recent years. According to the Annual Report, 2023 was a challenging year, shattering every metric the Pantry tracks. The number of family members fed was 18,172, up 11% over 2022. In 2023, the Pantry distributed $727,756 worth of food. Most families served are from Sudbury and bordering communities. The most significant source of shelf-stable foods – cans, boxes, etc. comes from food drives from the four elementary schools in town. The Pantry is 100% volunteer-run. In 2023, 187 volunteers gave13,960 hours which the IRS would recognize as a value of $444,052 in labor. Accepting this award is the Executive Director John Thomas, known as JT.
Please join us to celebrate the winners of the 2024 Sudbury Chamber of Commerce Community Awards!
Free; Registration is Required. Space is limited!
For more information, please contact Martha Bernard Welsh, President, Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, at 78-460-3145 Mwelsh@dressforsuccessworcester.org
Community Awards 2023 - December 5th
And the winners are…
BUSINESS OF THE YEAR:
Once a Photomat, this cheery, bright blue tiny coffee shop in Sudbury Crossing shopping center has been Debby’s Drive-Thru Coffee for the past ten years. Serving homemade pastries, amazing breakfast sandwiches (several of which are credited to local residents), and coffee creations of all kinds, Debby’s has built an amazing business on a foundation of quality, customer service, and kindness. A Google search of the business reveals a trove of enthusiastic customer reviews. “It is a true hidden gem in Sudbury. Debby is so kind and warm, and she always greets her customers with friendliness and inclusion. Her coffee and food are excellent!” Thank you, Debby, for taking such good care of us! And if, somehow, you haven’t visited Debby yet, stop by and say hello and congratulations.
https://www.facebook.com/p/Debbys-Drive-Thru-100063605708536/
BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR:
Renee Bordner, Founder & Instructor, Note-worthy Experiences Music Studio
Renee Bordner has built Note-Worthy Experiences Music Studio from a one-woman home-based piano teaching business to a MetroWest area studio with over 65 music and voice teachers who are paired with child and adult students for lessons on numerous instruments in private in-home or online/virtual lessons. The independent music teachers she manages, all small businesspeople themselves, benefit from Renee’s client pairing and coordination, which helps their practices thrive. During COVID, she created community events like a series of recitals at the Camp Sewataro pavilions in 2021, bringing families together through music. Additionally, her children created a non-profit, “Instrumental Angels,” that receives and repairs donated musical instruments and sends them to children in need. To date, more than 7500 instruments have been donated worldwide. We celebrate your skills and generosity to our community and beyond, Renee. Congratulations.
https://www.note-worthyexperiences.com
CITIZEN OF THE YEAR:
John Wilson
We celebrate John Wilson for his deep engagement in the Sudbury community as a resident of 76 years and especially as a founding father of the Sudbury Youth Soccer Association, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. A founding member of Our Lady of Fatima Church, John was an active volunteer in church activities, including coaching soccer. In 1973, a small group of parents formalized the youth soccer program that had been informally created through the cooperation of clergy leaders, Parks and Recreation, and Lincoln Sudbury faculty. The Sudbury Youth Soccer Association was incorporated. It quickly grew to hundreds of players and volunteers, today serving over 1000 Sudbury youth each year. It is safe to bet that almost everyone here tonight has spent some time on a Sudbury soccer field – as a player or fan. On behalf of the many thousands of Sudbury youth and families who have been part of this movement, we thank you, John Wilson.
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD:
Catharine Blake, Town Meeting Moderator
In 2015, Cate Blake, a Sudbury resident, mother of two young children and law partner at Atwood & Cherney, attended her first Sudbury Town meeting. A self-proclaimed “law nerd” said she loved it, loved the local governance, the debate, the whole thing. She decided that one day she wanted to be Town Moderator and so when the position opened up she ran for it. By reputation, Town Meeting Moderator is a thankless job. Cate says that when she filed the papers to run she was told she needed a “good sense of humor and thick skin”. “I am a divorce attorney”, she replied: “I have both.” These past three years, COVID and other challenges have presented additional challenges of online and safety concerns to the Town Meeting. Nominators note Cate’s grace and humor under pressure, confidence and knowledge of the rules to keep the Town Meetings on track. She encourages all of us to attend and participate in Town Meetings. We thank you for your commitment to the democratic process and service to our community.
2022 Award Winners:
Citizen of the Year – The Shaw family – Kevin & Bethany awarded posthumously to Kevin.
Business of the Year – Lynch Landscaping, Michael Lynch, Owner
Business Person of the Year – Cathy Regensburger, Owner, Selections Boutique.
Distinguished Service Award – Peggy Richardson, recently retired owner of Bullfinches Restaurant.
Special Service Award – Kathy Winston for 25 years of service to the Sudbury Chamber of Commerce as Treasurer
Citizens of the Year: The Shaw Family – Kevin, Bethany, Violet, and Alexa 2022 marks the first time a family has received this award. The Shaws had multiple nominations for a number of years running. The Shaws are a giving family. All that they do and have done around town together represents what community means. Kevin and Bethany moved with their girls to Sudbury in 2012, having outgrown their Waltham home, and finding a house that checked all their boxes: good schools, character, a workshop and studio, and lots of space to run around.
Bethany Shaw is an illustrator, graphic designer, and mixed-media artist, often using her work in campaigns to raise awareness for local causes. She has served on many nonprofit and civic boards, including the Sudbury Art Association, Sudbury Cultural Council, MetroWest Readers Fest, SPARK Kindness, and Sudbury Doing Good. Many Sudbury nonprofits bear logos created skillfully by Bethany. She has donated countless volunteer hours in service for the town and has recently found joy in her weekly volunteer hours at the Goodnow NOW Lab. In the fall, together with Kevin and daughters Violet and Alexa, Bethany and her family created the new Free Little Art Gallery (FLAG) at the entrance of the Goodnow Library.
A friend to many, Kevin Shaw passed away in October. During his years in Sudbury he made a lasting impact, often behind the scenes supporting his daughters’ and Bethany’s endeavors. As the CEO of a software company, technology was a passion, and he used his skills over the last three years to advance projects as Trustee of the Sudbury Historical Society so that the Sudbury History Center & Museum could open its doors to the public. He was quiet in his giving – signing up for jobs that needed getting done, helping with tech, or a moving a neighbor’s fallen tree, or just making connections when he saw talents that could be shared.
Kevin and Bethany have instilled in their young daughters an awareness of service, to think about others and to use their resources for the good. Violet, age 12, belongs to the Curtis Angels, and has created and sold woven bracelets to raise funds for The American Cancer Society. She volunteers at the Goodnow Library Children’s Room. Alexa, age 10, has been Bethany's right-hand helper in all endeavors–among them, volunteering at local events, filling the FLAG, and helping pack Take & Create kits (free art kits of upcycled materials) for the community.
When Kevin passed away, Bethany’s community come together in a way that made her heart swell. As Bethany explains, the Shaw’s community of four became a one of three, plus more-than-they-could-count of those who came to take care of them. The Shaws have always loved community — strange for a family of introverts, but community comes in all shapes and sizes - in extended family and friends met through school, Bethany’s artist friends and those known because she loves kindness, and Kevin’s community from work and volunteering. Both had communities formed prior to coming to Sudbury. The girls have community in their close friends, but also in their friends' families who have taken them in as their own, especially in recent months. The Shaws have a community of support in the public schools – strong and full of kindness before their dad’s tragic accident, magnified exponentially afterwards.
Business of the Year: Lynch Landscaping & Tree Service, Inc. Established in 1980, Lynch Landscape & Tree Service (Lynch), Inc. has 40-plus years of experience delivering landscape, tree, and irrigation services in and around Sudbury/Wayland. Michael and Kelleigh Lynch started the business, now run by Michael and son-in-law Quentin Nowland. The original location and current nursery is on Old Sudbury Road. The main office and shop are in Sudbury after moving to 80 Union Ave 10 years ago. With 100 employees on staff, Lynch has a 95% employee and customer retention rate, with some employees having worked at Lynch for 10, 20, and even 30+ years.
Lynch cares about their customers and caters to their needs. Staff answers phones 10 hours a day, customers have a dedicated contact "landscape supervisor," and they are the only company that offers landscape, design/build, tree (with certified arborists), irrigation, lawn care, tick & mosquito control, and snow plowing all from the same company. Lynch is also the owner of Extra Space Storage (Extra Space is a 3rd-party manager) and worked closely with the Select Board, Planning Board, and other town boards and staff to ensure the project was a true collaboration between themselves and the Sudbury community.
With a company motto of “Building landscapes and relationships that last,” Lynch is known for their support of community projects through local philanthropy and generous in-kind donations that aid many non-profits and civic organizations around Sudbury, including schools, youth sports, and scout troop endeavors. Lynch is a leading sponsor for Pam's Run, which benefits Neighbor Brigade, and helps with the tree pick-up fundraiser for LSRHS, assists the Sudbury Garden Club, and most recently, the company helped The Wayside Inn Foundation secure a tree and firewood for its educational mishoon-building project.
Business Person of the Year: Cathy Jarvis Regensburger, Selections Boutique Cathy Jarvis Regensburger has owned and operated Selections Boutique since 2019 after purchasing her store at 435 Boston Post Road (Sudbury Crossing Plaza) from the previous owner. The shop is filled with the latest trends in apparel, accessories, and giftware from Europe, Canada, and the United States, as well as fair trade communities in Africa and Nepal. Selections puts the customer experience first, offering a high level of personalized service while shopping for unique and distinctive merchandise not found in other stores.
Prior to acquiring Selections, Cathy had never worked in retail but had always worked in some capacity of sales, leadership, and running her own businesses. She became interested in retail when the opportunity came up to purchase as she has always been interested in fashion and shopping!
Cathy’s favorite items are the ones that make Selections’ clientele come back again and again because they are perfectly suited for the customer or the recipient of a gift. As a small boutique that doesn’t operate online, Cathy buys in small quantities that assure new, unique items every visit.
Cathy has created a business based on generosity. As sole proprietor, Cathy has the opportunity to work directly with the community and connect with customers ensuring Selections Boutique is a gathering place whether as a location for donation drives or Sip & Shops. Cathy routinely opens Selections for non-profit organizations such as Dignity Matters, Dress for Success, and other charities to hold shopping fundraisers at which Cathy generously donates a percentage of the boutique’s profits. Cathy has also often given merchandise and gift cards to charitable auctions and raffles. To find out about upcoming events, new arrivals, and sales, subscribe to Selections’ e-newsletter at selectionsboutique.net.
Distinguished Service: Peggy Richardson
After 43 years as proprietor of Bullfinchs Restaurant, Peggy Richardson retired this year, turning the reins over to her son, Scott, and other family members. Long a member of the Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, Peggy and her family are well known for wonderful hospitality and delicious menus for every occasion.
The Richardsons are also known for their generosity over the years to the Sudbury business and civic community, with the donation of many gift certificates and other support for the area schools and charitable organizations.
The pandemic delayed Peggy’s retirement for two years while Bullfinchs found innovative ways to continue to serve customers with new interior air purification systems and cozy, warm outdoor seating. She says she and her family were fortunate to have landed in Sudbury and credits the community with much support. “The town was there to hold us up. We are very fortunate and grateful.” It has been a joy, Peggy says, to have witnessed so many special celebrations over the years, and she is confident that the next generation will continue to provide outstanding service to their guests.
Special Recognition of Longtime Service: Kathy Winston, CPA As we close out 2022, The Chamber wishes to acknowledge and thank Kathy Winston for her 25-plus years of service to the organization and the business community as Treasurer of the Sudbury Chamber of Commerce. Kathy retired from that post in 2022 and, as she can attest from our many emailed questions t her, we truly miss her careful stewardship of our finances and her thoughtful approach to her Board service.
