MAPC Awards Two Legislative Staff Members For Their Service
BOSTON - November 19, 2025 – Earlier this month, representatives from 101 Massachusetts cities and towns, gubernational appointees, state and local officials, and guests came together in Arlington for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council's (MAPC) Fall Council Meeting. During the gathering, MAPC presented its Legislative Staff of the Year award to Hirak Shah and Victoria Mori Daigle of the office of Senator Bruce Tarr (R - Gloucester). MAPC is the regional planning agency serving the people who live and work in Greater Boston and annually honors legislative staff who are nominated for their service and heartfelt dedication to the work of making the Commonwealth better and stronger.
Daigle, born and raised in her hometown of Beverly, serves as Tarr’s district director, and Shah, of Andover, is Tarr’s deputy chief of staff / legal counsel. Tarr serves the MAPC communities of Essex, Gloucester, Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Middleton, North Reading, Rockport, Topsfield, and Wenham, as well as nine additional communities in the Merrimack Valley.
“Hirak and Vicki are diligent, dedicated, and valued staff members who never forget that our constituents are at the center of everything we do,” said Senate Minority Leader Tarr. “Every day they give their very best to efforts like the North Shore Water Resiliency Task Force, that is forging a new path for collaboration in our region for the Ipswich River and the public water supplies that people depend on.”
“I deeply appreciate the partnership of MAPC, and the commission's recognition of these two outstanding public servants.”
“Hirak and Vicki are the engine behind the scenes that keeps the multifaceted partnership of the North Shore Water Resilience Task Force moving forward,” said MAPC Government Affairs Director Leah Robins. “We at MAPC and in this region are forever indebted to Hirak and Vicki for being in the weeds making sure a group of 17 municipalities, and many state and local partners, move together towards a shared vision of water resilience in the region.”
Daigle has taken the lead on these efforts since the inception of the North Shore Water Resilience Task Force, guiding their early work and facilitating critical conversations. She has helped communities build trust among leaders and partner organizations through her consistent, passionate dedication in keeping the Task Force’s momentum moving forward. Inspired by Daigle’s persistence, Shah, in turn, has worked to strengthen and advance Tarr’s legislative efforts by helping draft amendment language, filing key amendments on the Senator’s behalf, and playing a vital role in securing state budget funding to ensure resources are available as needs arise. Together, they remain fully engaged as key staff members in Tarr’s office, responding to a wide range of issues from emergency preparedness to procurement.
“We were thrilled to honor Hirak and Vicki as leaders in front of their peers, supporters, and our Council members,” said MAPC Executive Director Lizzi Weyant. “They both epitomize what it means to be a public servant, going above and beyond to serve their constituents communities, and we're so glad to work alongside them."
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