BURRILLVILLE – An appointed leader who has served the town of Burrillville for some 29 years received the Burrillville Police Department’s highest honor at their annual awards ceremony this month.
Town Manager Michael Wood was named the Wallace F. Lees Award recipient for 2025, accepting the honor at the BPD’s Awards Ceremony & Heroes in Our Community Celebration on Thursday, Dec. 4.
The recognition is given annually in remembrance of the late police chief and 30-year veteran of the department, who also served on the Burrillville Town Council for 20 years.
“Fifty years of putting this community at the forefront of his life,” said BPD Chief Col. Stephen Lynch of Lees. “His 50 years are marked with descriptions of Chief Lees as empathic, compassionate, wise, respectful and always there to help others.”
“This honor is bestowed on a Burrillville citizen who puts this community at the very front of their lives in what they do – the person that makes a difference in the well-being of the residents of the town of Burrillville,” said Lynch. “Someone who strives to improve and preserve all that is right about this community.”
Lynch noted that past Lees award recipients have included Gabby Abbate, Richard Peck, Frank Galleshaw, Michael Gingell, Nancy Binns and Kathann Mospaw.
A Pennsylvania native, Wood attended the University of Rhode Island as a Division 1 football recruit, starring for the Rams for four years on Meade Field.
He served in municipal management positions in both Massachusetts and New Jersey before he was hired in Burrillville as the second appointed leader in the small town’s history, coming into office after manager Tom Bercher. At the time, Burrillville had a structural deficit of more than $1 million.
“This year’s honoree started turning Burrillville around in 1996, an incredible daunting task of building Burrillville out of a million dollar deficit with sections of town that needed to be turned around and staff issues that needed to be addressed,” said Lynch.
“The honoree did just that- turned a deficit into a model of fiscal management for all RI municipalities to emulate through a no-nonsense, fair minded, incredible ability to not lose focus on the mission of building back Burrillville’s financial situation and enhancing community development all throughout town,” Lynch said.
Now among the state’s longest-serving municipal leaders, Wood is credited not only with changing the trajectory of the town’s fiscal status, but also the culture of Burrillville town government. Major successes under Wood’s tenure include the ongoing effort to reinvent the town’s sleepy former mill villages through focused planning, including a plan for Harrisville that received the Grow Smart Award in 2012.
“He turned around areas of blight into coveted sections where residents come together and take pride in what this community is today,” noted Lynch.
Such long term planning has been a hallmark of Wood’s time in leadership – with work including Burrillville’s continued success with meeting Rhode Island’s ten percent affordable housing requirement – an effort that has allowed town officials to control how and where development takes place while maintaining rural character.
Lynch described Wood as “a no frills town manager who approached all issues as to what is best for the community in the present and in its future.”
“In looking at all aspects of the town of Burrillville, you will see Mike Wood’s handprints everywhere where positive change has taken place,” said the chief.
He’s also seen the town through major challenges and controversies, from defeat of an effort to build an unpopular power plant, to financing infrastructure improvements amid tight budgets.
“It has not always been easy for Mike Wood, yet he has never flinched in his passion for doing what is right for Burrillville,” said Lynch.
The chief said Wood is one of the best managers the state has ever seen, with “a clear vision towards the day to day and future betterment of the town of Burrillville.”
“He is the epitome of an incredibly strong, solid, humble, fair, and focused leader,” said Lynch. “There is nobody like him in RI government — such a unique skillset that has made this community stronger and a special-wonderful place to live.”
Wood accepted the award in the presence of his sisters Susan McCarthy and Phyllis Butler, and his brother in law Bob McCarthy.
Hats off to Mr Wood. He has been a leader tried and true. Thank you for your services over the last 30 years. Hard earned is an understatement. Library, Spring Lake Beach, Clocktower Mill Conversion & Commons, new DPW, Rink upgrades, High School Renovations, Alumni Field, Bike Path, Pascoag revitalization, Steere Farm acquisition, Buttonhole Industrial Park, Police Station Court, numerous infrastructure improvement all over the town (bridges, parks, roads, sidewalks, etc.), improved solid waste programs, you name it, his name is on it! A compassionate, but firm manner with each interaction, always well composed. Enjoy this Mr. Wood, happy holidays.
VERY WELL DESERVED!!!!he has done an incredible job for the town, I know you’ll never please all the people all the time, but Mr Wood certainly has tried to appease all of his constituents, WELL DONE SIR