Candidate profile: Foley hopes to bring Grafton forward

Part of a series on candidates for Grafton Select Board in the May 17 Town Election.

The green on Ann Marie Foley’s signs doesn’t only acknowledge the official color of Grafton. It’s also a nod to her dedication to the environment.

“I love this town,” said Foley, who moved to Grafton with her husband, Bob, back in the early 1990s. “I plan to be here for quite some time. I’ve been active for a while, but it’s time to take on a bigger role.”

With both Peter Carlson and Doreen DeFazio declining to seek re-election to the Select Board, Foley took a deep breath and stepped up to the task.

A physical therapist, Foley works in private practice working with individuals with intellectual disabilities. She has degrees from Boston University and Northeastern University and grew up in Canada.

“I’ve always been environmentally conscious — other parts of the world might be ahead of the United States on that,” she said. “I’m a fervent protector of Mother Earth.”

Foley worked to ban plastic bags in Grafton, lessening the number of bags seen by roadsides and tangled in tree branches. She also played a hand in limiting the amount of polystyrene used in local businesses, lobbied for curbside recycling, and started Green Up Grafton, a Facebook group that discusses environmental issues.

She now is a member of the American Rescue Plan Act Committee and the Open Space and Recreation Committee.

But before that, she served for 10 years on the Recreation Commission, including as chair. She headed up the Skate Park Building Committee, resulting in an area of ramps and jumps behind the Grafton Municipal Center. She also played a role in the renovation of the former Super Park in the 1990s.

Foley was founder and chair of the Fields Coalition, which identified town-owned properties to host playing fields. She was president of the Grafton chapter of the League of Women Voters and served on the boards of several parent-teacher groups and Boy Scout Troop 107.

“I see Grafton’s growth and development as one of the biggest issues,” Foley said. “We need to have an infrastructure to support growth, and we need to diversify the tax base.”

On affordable housing, she noted that the recent push for affordable units in the GSX project under development at the former DPW on Upton Street has brought Grafton into safe harbor.

“The gives us a chance to take a breath and work with developers,” she added. “We also need to look at open space opportunities.”

Other candidates running for the two open seats on the Select Board are Andy Jefferson, Richard Whitney, and Carl Palmer.

“I’m not running against anyone. I’m bringing my own campaign forward,” Foley said. “I think I can make a positive impact and I’m hoping people just come out and vote.”