Karen A. Jewett was born and raised in Holliston and is a graduate of Holliston High School, Class of 1988. Karen returned to Holliston in 2006 where she resides with her husband, Dan Jewett. Together they have raised four sons in town, Matthew Cooper, Patrick Jewett, Sean Jewett, and Aidan Jewett. Karen is also the proud grandmother of Jacalyn Judd.
Over the years, Karen has dedicated countless hours to serving Holliston through a wide range of organizations and initiatives. Her volunteer efforts include serving at the Holliston Pantry Shelf, participating in HDAAC, serving as President of Holliston Youth Basketball, coaching youth town and travel boys’ basketball programs, coaching AAU basketball, teaching religious education classes, serving as a HABA representative, and volunteering at numerous PTO, school, and sporting events throughout her children’s years in school.
Karen’s passion for community service stems from values instilled by her parents. She credits them with teaching her the importance of helping others and leading by example. “My inspiration comes from a deeply ingrained sense of purpose to serve others that was modeled by my parents,” Karen said. She added that throughout her childhood, they were always helping others, in both public and private ways. One of her favorite quotes is, “You rise by lifting others,” as she believes that “the betterment of any community is rooted in a communal approach to taking care of one another.”
Among her many contributions, Karen has led several impactful community projects.
- In 2017, she spearheaded the research, planning, and fundraising efforts for a new $150,000 wooden basketball and volleyball court at Holliston High School, funded entirely through the generosity of local families.
- In 2025, she helped create the SNAP Sack Initiative after SNAP funding was unexpectedly halted, coordinating community support that provided 676 meal bags to Holliston residents in need during the month of November, in an amazing show of community support.
- She helped lead the Pantry Shelf’s most successful SOUPer Bowl fundraiser to date, raising critical funds to support local families experiencing food insecurity.
While her community accomplishments are significant, Karen says her “most cherished moments have been the past five years caring for her mother as she aged in place.” “Being able to support her was such a blessing and something I will always hold close to my heart,” Karen said. She cited her mother, Nancy Hovsepian, as her greatest influence. She describes her as the embodiment of unconditional love, kindness, and generosity and added that she quietly modeled how to give and show love to every person she met. She raised her children to “not let the left hand know what the right hand is doing” and to always give discreetly out of respect for the recipient. Karen continued to model the importance of civic responsibility within the community for her sons.
Karen loves Holliston’s strong sense of community and connectedness and adds that she has so many wonderful memories from both childhood and raising her family in town.
As she reflects on this recognition, Karen hopes her volunteerism inspires others to get involved to serve their community. She believes every act of service creates a ripple effect, and hopes others are encouraged to volunteer.
Karen says she continues “to be overwhelmed and humbled by the generosity of the people and businesses in our town” — “the Holliston Pantry Shelf is a very special place that has supported neighbors struggling with food insecurity for more than 33 years. The mission is simple: ‘Neighbors Helping Neighbors,’ but the impact is powerful. Currently serving more than 700 individuals in Holliston, the Pantry Shelf is always looking for volunteers to help our neighbors in need.”
Karen Jewett exemplifies the very best of Holliston and is a most deserving recipient of the 2026 Citizen of the Year Award.
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Thomas J. Chipman, a fourth-generation Hollistonian, has called Holliston home for sixty years. Alongside his wife, Ann, and their children, Erin, Erica, Cara, Thomas, and Michael, Tom has built a life rooted in community and service.
Throughout the years, Tom has quietly devoted countless hours and resources to projects that have enhanced the quality of life for Holliston residents. His contributions have touched nearly every corner of the community. A current member of the Holliston Sportsman’s Association and former seventeen-year member of the Holliston Parks and Recreation Board, Tom played a key role in fundraising and building Goodwill Park and contributed extensive labor and expertise to numerous recreational and community facilities.
Among his many contributions, Tom donated two months of labor to install lighting for the Field of Dreams on the Adams and Damigella Fields and constructed the building that houses the lighting controls and power systems. He also donated labor and materials for signage at Adams, Damigella, and Flag fields; provided labor and materials for power installations at the Green Street garage pavilion; and donated all labor and materials for the Veterans Memorial and extensive improvements at Blair Square, including electrical infrastructure and power for the annual Lions Club Christmas tree lighting.
In addition, Tom helped design and fund the Holliston High School concession stand, generously contributing both materials and labor to bring the project to fruition.
Reflecting on his lifelong dedication to the town, Tom credits Holliston’s past and present community leaders as his inspiration, and said “growing up as a small boy in this town and getting to know so many people from the past and present that changed this town with great vision and devotion to bring this town to where it is today. I saw many people meet, come up with plans and work hard to make their visions happen to make this town the great town it is today. I knew I wanted to help anywhere I could.”
Tom’s commitment to public service was further strengthened through his friendship with the late Bob Nemet, whose commitment and love for Holliston inspired him to join the Parks Department. While Tom’s volunteer contributions are extensive, he is equally proud of building a successful local business alongside his wife, Ann. Together, they spent more than thirty-one years growing their company into a thriving enterprise that serves communities from Cape Cod to Worcester.
Tom believes the true strength of Holliston lies in its people. “I love how the community comes together when someone is in need, if somebody is ill for example, the community comes to support them. If someone has a vision for the town, people come together to help and make that vision a reality. When people fundraise programs, the community helps with that.” As he looks to the future, Tom hopes others will continue to invest their time, talents, and ideas in the town.
Tom said he hopes “others look at this town and want to make it sparkle on the map. I hope people bring new ideas and help make more things come to life like the Rail Trail. I hope more people get involved and help and they should be proud to do it.”
Tom’s lifelong commitment to service, generosity, and community improvement embodies the spirit of the Celebrate Holliston Citizen of the Year Award.
Celebrate Holliston is also deeply grateful for the countless hours Tom has dedicated to helping make the annual Field Day a success. Quite simply, the event would not be possible without the extraordinary volunteer support, expertise, and commitment he has provided over the years. His willingness to step up whenever needed has played a vital role in creating a memorable tradition enjoyed by generations of Holliston families.
Join us on September 17th, 6:00-8;00pm at Upper Town Hall to honor these two wonderful individuals and at CELEBRATE HOLLISTON’S FIELD DAY ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 19th at Damigella Field (10:00am).