As summer blended into fall, Harvard’s Select Board considered new appointments to several town committees and boards. Applicants brought with them diverse work-life experiences and a shared commitment to improving town life. The volunteer application period has yielded candidates for the committees overseeing the Bare Hill Pond watershed and climate and environmental initiatives.
At its Aug. 12 meeting, the Select Board approved Nancy Hartshorne for the Harvard Climate Initiative Committee, which had a vacant associate seat running through 2026. With years of experience in community groups in neighboring towns, including leadership in the League of Women Voters and Garden Club, she brings strong civic engagement and outreach experience.
At the same meeting, Jennifer A. Schultz was named to the Bare Hill Pond Watershed Management Committee, which oversees the town’s most visible natural resource. With her background in global merchandising operations and her current work with a local children’s center, she brings strengths in project management and community relations for environmental and watershed concerns. Committee Chair Bruce Leicher welcomed Schultz’s appointment as an associate member and noted the vital role volunteers play on the committee. “Almost all of our work is performed by our volunteers, ranging from running the annual drawdowns, environmental reporting and permitting, conducting environmental surveys of plants, fish, frogs, and water quality as well as maintaining the pump house and helping residents learn about best practices in the watershed,” he wrote in an email to the Press.
Adding to the field of applicants, Cynthia Fontaine and Lucy Wallace had also submitted their names for volunteer positions. Their applications were approved by the Select Board at its Sept. 23 meeting. Fontaine, a visual and digital arts teacher at Bromfield High School with more than a decade of teaching experience in Harvard, was appointed to the Cable Committee. Wallace, who currently serves as an associate member of Harvard’s Climate Initiative Committee and has long been active in local environmental and municipal affairs, was appointed to the Harvard-Devens Jurisdiction Committee.
Beyond these appointments, the town’s roster of vacancies highlights the stakes: The Planning Board shapes housing and development decisions; the Finance Committee influences budgetary priorities; and the Conservation Commission is central to land use and environmental oversight. Each of these committees is seeking an associate member. These are among the most influential boards in town government, carrying responsibilities that touch nearly every household.
Michael Burns is a student at Fitchburg State University.
