More than 70 community members, local leaders, friends, and family gathered on October 24 to honor Shirley Girioni and celebrate the rededication of Guilford’s Visitor Information Kiosk as the Shirley Girioni Welcome Center. Hosted by the Guilford Preservation Alliance (GPA) in collaboration with The Guilford Foundation (TGF), the event celebrated GPA-led improvements and recognized Girioni’s decades of leadership in historic preservation, conservation, town planning, and community service.

The tribute is especially fitting because Girioni, a longtime GPA leader and former president, helped create the original Visitor Information Kiosk in 2015. The facility was designed to welcome visitors and connect them with Guilford’s historic sites, walking tours, recreational opportunities, local businesses, and community events.

“If you ask almost any resident what makes Guilford such a special place, they will, without realizing it, describe activities, resources, organizations, policies, or values that Shirley had a hand in founding or profoundly shaping,” said Howard Brown, a GPA board member involved in the project.

Girioni’s contributions span more than five decades. She helped lead efforts to plant 550 trees throughout Guilford’s historic borough and along Route 1, expand the town’s inventory of historic resources, and secure scenic highway designations for Routes 77 and 146. She served 10 years in town planning, helped establish the Women & Family Life Center, and has been a longtime leader in the Guilford Garden Club. Her influence extends beyond the town’s physical landscape to the organizations and traditions that bring residents together.

Speaking on behalf of the Town of Guilford, Selectman Lou Federici recognized the breadth of Girioni’s service and the many ways residents have benefited from her dedication.

State Senator Christine Cohen, who helped secure funding for portions of the improvements, also spoke at the ceremony.

“Shirley has been one of the driving forces behind so much of what makes Guilford special. From preserving open space and protecting our town’s character to creating the connections that bring our community together, her impact is everywhere. It’s especially fitting that this Welcome Center, where we introduce visitors to the town we love, now bears her name.”

A More Welcoming Destination for Visitors and Residents

The rededication celebrated the Welcome Center enhancements that made the public space more attractive, visible, and useful. New plantings, an updated town map, refreshed signage, and enhancements to the surrounding space have created a more inviting destination for visitors and residents. Grants from The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, Ascend Bank, and The Guilford Foundation, along with contributions from dozens of individuals and businesses, made the improvements possible. All supporters will be recognized on a plaque at the Welcome Center.

A cornerstone of GPA’s heritage tourism initiatives, the Welcome Center introduces visitors to Guilford’s historic sites, recreational opportunities, local businesses, and community events. From May through October, volunteers from GPA and Gavin & Friends, a vocational program for individuals with developmental disabilities overseen by SARAH Tuxis, welcome visitors and provide information about the town. The Welcome Center also serves as a starting point for guided and self-guided walking tours of the historic town center.

“Shirley was instrumental in creating the original visitor kiosk more than a decade ago, and its impact has been remarkable. In 2026 alone, we’ve welcomed over 1,300 visitors from 29 states and nine countries, introducing them to everything Guilford has to offer. These improvements build on Shirley’s original vision, and naming the Welcome Center in her honor is a fitting tribute to someone who has done so much for our town,” said Tim Sperry, GPA President.

A Tribute That Will Continue Giving Back

To honor Girioni’s extraordinary service, GPA and The Guilford Foundation established the Shirley Girioni Fund. The unrestricted charitable fund provides flexible resources to address Guilford’s evolving needs, extending her commitment to the community for future generations.

TGF Executive Director Liza Janssen Petra reflected on Girioni’s personal influence, recalling their connection when Petra became executive director of Women & Family Life Center.

“I first got to know Shirley when I became executive director of Women & Family Life Center, an organization she helped establish. She was a role model and an inspiration, showing what one committed person can accomplish by bringing people together around a shared purpose. The Shirley Girioni Fund is a wonderful way to honor that spirit and continue investing in the community she loves.”

The October 24 celebration reflected the collaborative spirit that has characterized Girioni’s work. GPA led the Welcome Center improvements, while GPA and TGF partnered to coordinate the rededication. Guilford Parks and Recreation provided event equipment and logistical assistance, Belle Vie donated refreshments, and local business owner Erica Azarigian contributed 10% of the day’s sales at Ella, Where She Shops and Whitfield & Co. to the Shirley Girioni Fund.

For residents and visitors who will use the Welcome Center in the years ahead, its new name will serve as a lasting reminder of Girioni’s dedication to preserving Guilford’s character, strengthening its community, and making it a welcoming place for all.