On Tuesday, May 20, Boxborough voters will go to the polls to fill eleven town positions. Offices on this year’s town ballot are Select Board (a two-year seat and a three-year seat), School Committee (one seat), Planning Board (two seats), Library Trustees (two seats), Board of Health (one seat), Town Clerk (one seat), Town Moderator (one seat), and Constable (one seat).
Boxborough News reached out to all fourteen candidates and asked them to answer the question “Why are you running?” The responses that we received from the candidates are available at
https://www.boxboroughnews.org/2025-election. The candidate’s responses have been published as received; they have not been edited by Boxborough News.
For more information about the candidates running in the contested races – for the three-year Select Board seat, the two Planning Board seats, and the two Library Trustees seats – watch a BXB-TV recording of the Boxborough Candidate Forum hosted by the Acton Area League of Women Voters on May 1 at
https://cloud.castus.tv/vod/boxborough/?page=HOME.
Jennifer Barrett (Select Board, 3-year seat): I am running for a three-year seat on the Select Board because I feel the Board would benefit from my municipal finance experience and longevity with the Town of Boxborough. I worked for Boxborough for over seven years and am currently a Certified Governmental Accountant as well as a Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Officer. Our current Board is making strides to get Boxborough in a better financial position and has asked for my help. I’ve watched my own taxes increase year over year and with my background I know why and how that happens. I would appreciate the opportunity to help my fellow residents understand how their actions impact their Town as well. My family has been Boxborough residents for centuries (yes, you read that right), and I am looking forward to serving Boxborough as my ancestors have done.
Wesley Fowlks (Select Board, 3-year seat): My name is Wesley Fowlks, and I am running for re-election to the Select Board. Thank you to everyone who has supported me during my seven years of service. As a resident since 2000 and parent of two young children, I bring a long-term perspective to town decisions. I strongly believe in funding our schools and senior programs for residents of all ages. I’m passionate about completing the Employer of Choice initiative to attract and retain talented staff. I remain committed to being accessible and providing voters complete information about financial decisions, including potential overrides and their impact. I understand increased taxes aren’t easy for many families and am committed to transparent communication about these important choices. I deeply appreciate your support and votes in the annual town election.
Sam Anderson (Select Board, 2-year seat): I’ve had a 13-year career working with state government, which has instilled in me the belief that an open, honest, and community-oriented Select Board is key for Boxborough to address its challenges and improve the lives of its residents. As a parent of school-age children, I am focused on supporting our educators and maintaining our schools’ excellence, and making housing more affordable. As Chair of the Conservation Commission, my charge is to encourage development that protects the land and water that we all enjoy. My experience navigating that fundamental tension will help in my goal to find opportunities for development that strengthen the tax base while protecting our residents and valuable open space. As a Select Board member, I’ll use this experience and perspective to engage the community, and build an inclusive and sustainable future for Boxborough.
Mark Barbadoro (Planning Board): Hello my name Mark Barbadoro, and I’m excited to announce my candidacy for the Planning Board. In my career as a Building Commissioner, I’ve had the pleasure of working in the Community Development Departments of six communities across the Commonwealth. I’m eager to put my experience to work in a way that benefits both developers and our community. My goal is to create a positive atmosphere during meetings, making sure they run efficiently while giving all sides a fair chance to be heard. I believe it’s essential for residents to have a voice in the development process. If elected, I’ll work with permit applicants to steer projects towards a mutually beneficial outcome. Ultimately, I want to help protect the quality of life for all of my neighbors and guide development that enhances our wonderful community. With careful planning we can make our town an even better place to live!
Chris Dowdy (Planning Board): We moved to Boxborough 19 years ago, and always try to be involved in the community. Realizing there was a vacancy on the Planning Board, I decided to volunteer where I could help. Professionally, I am a molecular biologist and oversee a team of project managers. Every day I am brought into situations where the original plan has gone sideways. Assigning blame isn’t helpful. I work with everyone involved, study what happened, and help the team move forward with the best solution. No need to be perfect. We work toward the best fit. This is exactly the approach I would bring to the planning board: balancing the wants of applicants and the needs of the town to find the best fit. I want to see smart development in Boxborough. We can balance conservation of our resources and spaces, with development that will help ease the residential tax burden.
Andrew Tavolacci (Planning Board): I am running for the Boxborough Planning Board to preserve the quality of life for the residents of Boxborough. “Quality of life” is determined by many aspects, some emotional and psychological, and some financial and monetary. To have a good quality of life, it is important that your home is your refuge, calming and relaxing you, and helping you recharge from the struggles of daily life. But quality of life is also supported by the value of that home, now and in the future when it is time to sell. As a member of the Planning Board I will do my best to maintain or increase that quality of life we enjoy in our town, while simultaneously being cognizant of the fact that purposeful, well-thought-out development is also necessary to maintain or increase the value of our biggest assets, our homes.
Mark White (Planning Board): I’m running for Planning Board because I care deeply about Boxborough and want to help shape its future in a way that respects our rural character while addressing real needs. As a longtime resident and local business owner, I’ve seen what makes this town special — and what’s at stake as we grow. We face pressures to develop, but we also have the opportunity to do it right. With thoughtful, practical planning, we can support the kind of growth that fits Boxborough, strengthens our tax base, and ensures people of all ages — including seniors and young families — can afford to stay here. Over two terms on the Planning Board, I’ve worked to protect open space and our rural character while supporting projects that make sense. I bring experience, common sense, and a collaborative approach — and I’d be honored to continue serving this community.
Mikki MacDonald (Library Trustee): I am running for the Library Board of Trustees because I care deeply about the health and vitality of our public library. My family and I have lived in Boxborough for over 12 years, and the Sargent Memorial Library has become a consistent part of our life. Whether it’s downloading audiobooks, browsing the shelves, or my children (11 and 15) attending events, the library is part of our routine. As an archivist with more than 17 years of academic library experience, my focus has been on collection development, relationship building, and strategic planning. I’m excited to get more involved and to use my knowledge and background to support the services, staff, and programming that make the library such an important part of our community.
John Markiewicz (Library Trustee): I moved to Boxborough with my wife, Liz, and our two children in 1994. We came here for the great school system and the rural, small town atmosphere. I have served 23 years on the Planning Board, 3 years on the Select Board, and am currently on the Water Resources Committee. As an elected member of the Library Board of Trustees I will: Support the Director and the staff in fulfilling and enhancing the role of the Library as a vital Community asset. Advocate for proper financial support for the Library to accomplish its vital mission. Utilize my public and professional knowledge to assist in the development of the five year strategic plan. I have a strong record of SERVICE, EXPERIENCE, and DELIVERING RESULTS. I would appreciate YOUR VOTE on TUESDAY, MAY 20th.
Rob McNeece (Library Trustee): I am running again for the position of library Trustee because of my love of our library and the town of Boxborough. I first became a trustee in 1995 when the town was again considering building a new library. I stayed on as that dream came through in 2005. With this experience has come familiarity with all the library systems as well as the utilities and facility systems that make the library work. Also, having worked in the computer field, I understand the technology that connects the library to the outside world. Our library has served our community very well and has grown and changed with the times. We are now looking at a modest redesign of the center of the library. I have been a trustee through a variety of situations and want to continue during what appears to be a challenging future.
Liz Fowlks (School Committee): I am running for re-election to the school committee because I feel my work is incomplete. Our district is at the precipice of potential change and I am invested in improving opportunities for our students, teachers, administrators, and community. I hope to serve our district well for the next three years.
Andrew Weiner (Constable): I originally ran 3 years ago because I wanted to serve and support the community that accepted my family when we moved here. I am now up for reelection and I want to keep serving the community that I love.
Rebecca Harris (Town Clerk): I have been the Boxborough Town Clerk since 2021, and feel very fortunate to have landed in this position. It is extremely fulfilling and always interesting, with a myriad of responsibilities and tasks, and I am always learning new things. With the help of wonderful colleagues, I strive to be available to town residents to answer questions and manage vital records, various licenses, and public and historical records. I thoroughly enjoy my part in keeping the town democratic process running smoothly with my role in elections and town meetings. I hope to be at the heart of this wonderful community for many years to come.
Dennis Reip (Moderator): I am running for reelection to the one-year term for Town Moderator so that I can continue to serve the Town in this essential role. I offer the voters the right combination of experience, ability, and interest to perform as their Moderator. I have presided over 4 Town Meetings in my 3 terms of service and have demonstrated my commitment to providing a fair and productive meeting experience for all. I understand how Town Meeting is supposed to work and will continue to seek ways to improve the meeting process and voter experience by working in partnership with the Select Board, Town Clerk, and Town Administrator. As the appointing authority over the Finance Committee, I will continue to seek qualified volunteers to serve on the Finance Committee. I welcome the opportunity to continue my service to the Town as its Moderator and respectfully ask for your vote on May 20th.
