Dawn McKenna – Leaving a Legacy in Lexington
S ome say that Dawn McKenna is overly driven; others say she gets things done. A long-time community volunteer, she was the chair of the Lexington Tourism Committee for 23 years, an elected Town Meeting member for 29 years, and was a member of the Board of Selectmen (now Select Board) for six years. She served as Chair of the Board of Selectmen and served on dozens of boards and committees. A highly organized executive leader, she has demonstrable success in public/private partnerships and securing funding.
As the Chair of the Tourism Committee, she worked for many years to get the town to understand the importance of a new Visitors Center in Lexington. Plans for a new center were in the works for nearly a decade, before finally being approved in April 2018. When more funds were needed, Dawn worked with former State Representative Jay Kaufman, State Senator Mike Barrett, and current State Representative Michelle Ciccolo to secure funding from the Commonwealth and engaged community partners such as the Lions Club for support.
Although the new building is in the same location, it has been designed to take better advantage of its site near Buckman Tavern, Meriam Street, and especially the Minuteman Bikeway. Much larger and more accommodating for pedestrians and cyclists who want to explore Lexington further, it has an entrance off the bikeway, complete with a porch area, outdoor seating, and public restrooms.
Dawn commented, “Now, the Visitors Center will better accommodate people entering from the path. It’s both a commuter bikeway and a tremendous draw for people who may want to take a nice walk, many of whom are not from Lexington. We felt it was important to capture the economic opportunity that it presents.”
Engaging partners in a cooperative way is critical to success in tourism and has led to an increase in tourism at the historical houses and all the sites in Lexington. According to the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, tourism is the third largest industry in the Commonwealth; it generates $1.2 billion in state and local tax revenue; and employs one in ten Massachusetts residents. Dawn says, “There’s a lot of value in the partnerships, the learning that can take place, the economic advantages. Thousands of visitors visit town to see the historic sites and understand the history. We would like these visitors to spend more time in Lexington, generating revenue for the local economy.”
Lexington Times publisher Jim Shaw served on the Tourism Committee with Dawn and has served on board of directors of the Greater Merrimack Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau (GMVCVB) for over ten years. He credits Dawn McKenna with getting the Town of Lexington to recognize just how valuable the tourism industry is to Lexington as a resource for economic development. Shaw said, “Working with the Mass Office of Travel and Tourism, Dawn was able to take the data they provided to make a compelling argument for the Town of Lexington to make a real investment in tourism. She helped town leaders recognize how central tourism was to the local economy. She worked tirelessly to build a new Visitors Center in Lexington. I see it as a monument to her dedication and determination.”
Dawn also led the effort to establish the Liberty Ride in Lexington. The Liberty Ride provides visitors (and residents) an opportunity to learn more about Lexington’s involvement in the American Revolution. A narrated trolley ride, The Liberty Ride takes passengers for a visit to Lexington’s historical houses, a quick trip out to Concord, then back to Lexington where they can spend time visiting the shops in Lexington Center.
For her years of dedicated service to the tourism industry, in 2015 Dawn was presented with the annual Thomas McKay Award for Leadership in Tourism from the GMVCVB.
Battle Green Master Plan
Dawn was instrumental in developing the comprehensive Battle Green Master Plan to accommodate the many notable sites surrounding the Green and its multiple uses. As the Plan says, the Lexington Battle Green is a complex of “open space, buildings, graves, monuments, signs, streets, site furnishings, vegetation, and archaeological resources. It is considered consecrated ground for the blood shed on it and for the Minute Men who are interred here. It serves as the town common and is a National Landmark; as such, it responds to the daily lives of Lexingtonians and many visitors from around the world.”
Among the Plan’s recommendations for comprehensive interpretation and signage, statue and monument preservation, unified design standards, parking, and traffic calming, it recommends broadening the definition of the Battle Green to incorporate the other public spaces around the Green itself: Belfry Hill, Ye Olde Burying Ground, the Buckman Tavern, Lexington Visitor Center, the streets and streetscapes that frame the Green, and the intersections where you catch your first glimpse of the Battle Green. Most importantly, this Plan seeks to use tools and techniques that can enhance the Battle Green as a special, hallowed ground.
Lexington Select Board vice chair Doug Lucente points to Dawn’s resiliency as one of strongest attributes. He said, “Dawn has been working hard and making a difference in Lexington for a very long time. Whether it’s relating to tourism, as a member of Town Meeting, or as a member of the Select Board nearly two decades ago, Dawn is incredibly resilient. After experiencing a serious accident at home that kept her off her feet for some time, Dawn continued to lead the successful effort to build a new Visitors Center. That’s perseverance!”
Lexington is strong because of volunteers like Dawn. Yes, she organized track and cross-country teams, led Girl Scouts troops, but she also created an inclusive public process to build a new Dept of Public Works, helped Antony Park come to fruition, and hosted election night gatherings at the Depot. As she says, “What’s important to me is what’s best for this town.”
She says, “One of the things that makes Lexington unique is the willingness of residents to lend their expertise to make it better. I believe that volunteering gives me more than I give back. Patriots’ Day, which is my happy day, pays homage to those first volunteers. People of all backgrounds have a story of how and why they came to call Lexington home. Whether you have lived here a day or a lifetime, there is an opportunity for you to leave your imprint on the town.”