By BLAIR MEADOWCROFT, Special to the Local News

TREDYFFRIN — After serving 20 years as a township supervisor, Judy DiFilippo has decided it's time to move on.

It was a tough decision, said the lifelong volunteer.

"Now seemed like the logical time to step down so that others might have the opportunity to serve," said DiFilippo. "The decision was not easy, but I know it was the right one."

At a Dec. 21 meeting, the last of 2009 and of her term, DiFilippo was honored by her colleagues on the board and residents in attendance.

She received a plaque from board Chairman Warren Kampf and a certificate of appreciation. Police Chief Andrew Chambers presented her with a flag that had flown over the township building.

Board members and the audience shared memories and words of respect and gratitude for DiFilippo.

"I've known Judy for 20 years, including 12 spent on the board," said Supervisor John Shimrak, who, with Supervisor Mark DiFeliciantonio, was also honored for his time on the board. "She possesses an uncanny ability to listen to people, agree to disagree when needed and never loses her temper.

"There is rarely a day she is not spending some time devoted to the township or county. She is amazing in her contributions to the community. Judy, you have set the bar very high for others."

Kampf agreed "there is no more dedicated citizen to the township than Judy."

"You taught me how to be a supervisor," said board Vice Chairman Robert Lamina. "You have been a mentor of sorts and have meant very much to me."

Resident Sandi Gorman added, "You taught me how to be a good person, volunteer and neighbor."

DiFilippo was brought to tears by the comments. "I can't thank you all enough for your gifts, time and these special moments," she said. "I have served with 18 different individuals during my time on the board, and each has brought something different to the board and to my life. I love Tredyffrin, and it has been my pleasure to serve."

Looking back, DiFilippo recalled when she first decided to join the board more than 20 years ago.

"My husband and I were one of the earliest residents of Chesterbrook, and during the early 1980s, when the shopping center was under construction, the developers offered rent-free space in the center to the township for a library," said DiFilippo. "The township decided not to accept it, and one of my neighbors called me and asked me to join her in going to the supervisors' meeting to protest that decision. Our efforts failed, but I began attending supervisors' meetings on a regular basis to learn more about my local government. The more I learned, the more I believed that I could be a supervisor and be a positive influence on the board."

By the end of that decade, DiFilippo was elected and became the first resident of Chesterbrook to serve on a township board. Twenty years later, DiFilippo said her time spent on the board was a "wonderful experience."

"I have met so many interesting and special people over the years," said DiFilippo. "While from time to time some of us might not agree with one another on a particular matter, we were able to make decisions and move on to the next issue before us."

On her list of highlights are the making of the "Tredyffrin — The First 300 Years" documentary, co-chairing the tricentennial celebration and her 15 years as a member of the Paoli Transit Center Task Force.

"The tricentennial brought the community together to celebrate our community's very unique history, and I am proud to have been part of the team that worked together to make that happen," said DiFilippo. "And I was pleased to be in attendance to hear the announcement that Amtrak had signed an agreement with a developer to begin the process for constructing a new train station in Paoli."

Not all of her experiences while on the board, however, were happy.

"I delivered eulogies for two fellow board members; I was honored to speak on behalf of the community to acknowledge their efforts," said DiFilippo. "The most disappointing memory revolves around the admission of wrongdoing by the township's former finance director. When people let you down, when they take advantage of your trust, it is a black mark on the whole organization which takes time to overcome."

DiFilippo maintains it has been an honor serving the community she loves, and she said she plans to remain active in public affairs.

"I will continue to serve as a member of the Chester County Planning Commission," said DiFilippo. "I am still the appointed delegate to the Chester Tax Collection Committee, and I am one of two individuals appointed by the Board of Supervisors to serve on the Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust, and I serve on the Executive Board for Chester County 2020."