Lynnfield's Terri Farrell Honored as a 2024 Commonwealth Heroine

Lynnfield resident Terri Farrell was recently selected as a 2024 Commonwealth Heroine by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW).

Farrell was among more than 125 award recipients from across the state, ranging in age from 18 to 90, to be honored at the MCSW’s 21st annual Commonwealth Heroines Celebration, which was held in the State House’s Gardner Auditorium on June 14, with a reception following in the Great Hall of Flags. She was nominated for the award by House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading), who presented her with an official House citation in recognition of her selection.

As the mother of a child with autism, Farrell has been an outspoken advocate for the needs of autistic individuals and their families. She currently serves as the Senior Project Director of the Insurance Resource Center for Autism and Behavioral Health at UMass Chan Medical School’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, which assists families, providers and agencies with information related to both private and public insurance, including MassHealth.

In 2013, Farrell was appointed as the chair of the Government Affairs Committee for the Advocates for Autism of Massachusetts (AFAM), the Commonwealth’s leading autism advocacy non-profit. As the event chair for AFAM’s annual Autism Awareness and Acceptance Day at the State House, Terri has worked to educate legislators about AFAM’s budgetary and legislative initiatives and has presented at local conferences focused on autism insurance, transition and issues affecting homeless youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

“Terri is the epitome of what it means to be a Commonwealth Heroine: someone who gives back to the community and is constantly working to help enrich the lives of others,” said Representative Jones. “I was proud to nominate Terri as a 2024 Commonwealth Heroine, and I commend her on this well-deserved award.”

Created by the Legislature in 1998, the MCSW is an independent state agency that works to advance the women of the Commonwealth by offering policy recommendations to improve access to opportunities and equality. Since 2004, the MCSW has recognized over 2,000 women from across the Commonwealth for their contributions to their local communities. Originally known as the Unsung Heroine Award, the MCSW renamed its award as the Commonwealth Heroine Award in 2020.

“The Commonwealth Heroines are women who don’t make the news, but make all the difference in their communities,” said MCSW Chairwoman Dr. Sarah Glenn-Smith. “Thousands of women in every community across the Commonwealth perform unheralded acts on a daily basis that make our homes, neighborhoods, cities, and towns better places to live. Commonwealth Heroines use their time, talent, spirit, and enthusiasm to enrich the lives of others in their community. They are mentors, volunteers, and innovators – they are the glue that keeps a community together.”

For more information about the MCSW, please visit https://masscsw.org/