Eileen Cicchese, the program supervisor for the Town of Groton Parks and Recreation Department, received late last year the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities’ Joel Cogen Lifetime Achievement Award.

“Eileen Cicchese, the program supervisor for the Town of Groton Parks and Recreation Department, has spent the last 30 years advocating for those with special needs,” CCM said in a news release. “Ensuring that all programs, services and activities are equally available to all children and adults, she is a role model for municipal leaders across the state. Not only has she spearheaded the adoption of accessibility, but she was also a leader in developing an inclusion policy which the town uses as its compass for promoting inclusion across all public spaces.”

The Cogen award “is given to those who have dedicated a significant amount of time to their community over an extended period of time,” the release states. She was awarded the honor at CCM’s 2021 Annual Convention Dinner at Mohegan Sun on Nov. 30.

“In her time at Groton, she has played a key role in state and national recognition for these programs. She helped raise over $300,000 for a playground that has been described as “beyond accessible,” the release continues. “She has also created programs that pairs individuals with special needs to the greater community to help foster a positive atmosphere in town. All in all, Cicchese has gone above and beyond her role to lead by example and ensuring those with special needs have a voice in the community.”

Groton Parks and Recreation Director Mark Berry wrote in a letter recommending Cicchese for the award that Cicchese has led the way to “a broad spectrum of programming opportunities and facilities available to the community, each designed to allow for the fullest participation and potential regardless of a person’s capabilities."