By Christine Galeone, Contributing Writer
Northborough – “I still love getting up every morning and coming to work,” Kathy Joubert, the town planner for Northborough, told a crowd at a recent Rotary dinner. “I still love my job.”
The affable woman’s words reflected one of the reasons she was chosen by the Northborough Rotary Club to receive its prestigious Pride in Workmanship award. At the May 5 dinner and ceremony held at St. Rose of Lima Parish, Joubert humbly accepted the award to the delight of family, friends, co-workers and Rotarians.
Joubert has worked for the Town of Northborough for about 30 years. But serving the community seems to have been instilled in her when she was a child. Both of her parents were avid volunteers, and her dad, who has since passed, was a public servant for the Town of Shrewsbury. As town planner, she serves as staff liaison to the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, Open Space Committee, Trails Committee, Housing Partnership, Community Preservation Committee and the Design Review Committee.
And with all her commitments, she still finds time to belong to a few professional planning organizations, and she’s the town representative for the Corridor Nine Area Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Committee and the MetroWest Growth Management Committee. Additionally, she has devoted time and energy to helping the community to be happier and healthier. One way she has done this is through the Building a Healthy Northborough initiative. Created in 2008 and becoming part of MetroWest Moves in 2014, the initiative has helped establish community gardens, school gardens, healthier school lunch menus, safe walking paths and more.
Her dedication was not overlooked by members of the Northborough Rotary Club. At the beginning of the ceremony, club President Patricia Doyle described Joubert as “someone who has done so much for the town of Northborough and who we all love and revere.”
George Pember, a member of the Planning Board and chair of the club’s selection committee for the award, then spoke about why he nominated Joubert. After mentioning many of the activities she’s involved in, he quipped that if she ever left, the town would need to hire two people to replace her.
“It’s amazing what this woman does,” Pember said. “We are so blessed to have her in Northborough.”
The club continued to show its appreciation for Joubert. She received a standing ovation from the crowd, which included Joubert’s mom and a couple of her sisters and nieces. After her acceptance speech, Jim Fusco, the district governor for Rotary District 7910, presented her with an additional honor – a Paul Harris Fellow recognition. Fusco, who also spoke about the different ways Rotary – an international society of humanitarians – is “doing good in the world,” presented Joubert with a certificate and pin because of the good work she’s doing in the community.
During her acceptance speech, Joubert – who admitted that she’s a fan of British television – joked that when Pember called to tell her she was receiving the award, she felt she had been “gobsmacked.” After eliciting laughter from the crowd, she told everyone how grateful she was for this honor.
“I am so humbled by this award and recognition,” shared Joubert, who noted that it’s the hard work of the board members and volunteers that inspires her. She later added, “I love what the Rotary stands for.”
Nancy Berglund, who has been a club member for around 20 years and was on the selection committee, was thrilled that Joubert received the award.
“I always admired Kathy’s demeanor,” said Berglund, who once worked for the town. She noted that Joubert’s attitude toward her work is “so sincere, and it’s heartwarming and so humble…and she’s just a warm and likeable woman.”
To learn more about the Northborough Rotary Club, visit www.northboroughrotary.org.
