Thomas Raffio is the first to admit that "maybe I overdid my community service." But if the late nights and countless board meetings were tough on his family and his sleep cycle, they were welcomed by the many members of the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce last night as they named him "Citizen of the Year."

Raffio was commended by the group for his wide-reaching contributions to Concord and New Hampshire over the last 15 years-including memberships on more than 30 boards of directors and volunteer work for arts, education, business and social service organizations. When he's not at meetings, he is also the president and CEO of Northeast Delta Dental, an organization with its own extensive track record of civic engagement and local sponsorship.

"Having a citizen of the year award in a community is important just because there are people out there like Tom Raffio," said Liz Hager, the executive director of the United Way of Merrimack County, who has worked with Raffio on several projects. "He really is amazing."

Gov. John Lynch agreed. He proclaimed yesterday Thomas Raffio Day.

Raffio, a past chairman of the Chamber, has also held leadership roles in an array of local organizations including the Palace Theater, Early Learning New Hampshire, the American Red Cross and the Concord Area Race Series.

Though his contributions have been in many seemingly unrelated areas, those who work with him said that his broad knowledge of affairs in Concord and the state have helped strengthen the community.

"He's always looking to make connections with people," said Joan Goshgarian, of the New Hampshire Business Committee for the Arts, where Raffio is a board member and a former chairman of the board. Goshgarian said that Raffio has often clued her in when he learns of arts education initiatives or other projects where organizations could share resources or wisdom.

Franklin Pierce Law Center Dean John Hutson, who presented Raffio with the award last night at the Chamber's annual dinner, said that Raffio's contributions to the community have been both great and small. He described him as a "leader" and a "worker bee."

"He knows that Concord itself is a diverse community with lots of angles to it, so he tries to address all of them," Hutson said.

In his acceptance speech last night, Raffio thanked his family and colleagues, but also described Concord as a special place where a dedicated individual really could have a big impact.

"All of these people are really so beautiful in New Hampshire," he said. "Anyone in this audience could have received this award."