2015 Women of Distinction Contemporary Book

Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins
Senator Dean G. Skelos
Senator Jeffrey D. Klein
Women of
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H O N O R I N G WO M E N I N N E W YO R K
May 5, 2015
Dear Friends,
It is our pleasure to welcome you to this years Women of Distinction celebration. Sponsored
by the New York State Senate, this event showcases outstanding women living and working
in New York State whose contributions have greatly enriched the quality of life in their
communities and beyond.
From the womens suffrage movement 150 years ago to the present day, women have played a
crucial role in New York States political, social and economic development. Today we recognize
a select group of women who represent the qualities of leadership, compassion, and diligence.
Let us celebrate their hard work and subsequent success individually, but also be mindful
that todays honor spotlights the groups they are involved in and the causes they fight for.
These New York State women of outstanding accomplishment and importance are welldeserving of todays recognition. Many of the honorees have overcome battles, given countless
hours of service to their community, and achieved extraordinary milestones.
On behalf of the New York State Senate, we would like to send our warmest regards to all of
you attending the Women of Distinction celebration, and we offer our sincerest congratulations
to all of the women being honored in todays celebration. Your dedication, commitment and
success are an inspiration for all New Yorkers.

Democratic
Conference Leader

Temporary President
Majority Leader
Coalition Leader

Independent Democratic
Conference Leader
Coalition Leader
Women of
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N E W YO R K S TAT E S E N AT E
WomenWomen
of
of
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Program
Inspirational Reading by:
Maureen McAuliffe
Welcoming Remarks
Senator Elizabeth Little
Presentation of Awards
Julia Lilkendey
Closing Remarks
Senator Diane Savino
Musical Performance by:

Albany High School Albanettes
Women of
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The New York State Senate

is taking special note of the enormous
contributions that women have
made throughout the state and nation.
The women honored in this program
have enriched the quality of life in the
Empire State and beyond.
Their achievements should be
a source of pride and inspiration
to all New Yorkers.
Women of
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Marisol Alcantara
arisol Alcantara was born in the Dominican Republic, the only child of parents who wanted
a better future for their child. At the age of 12, she immigrated to Maryland to reunite with her
family. Education has always been one of Marisols priorities, and in seeking higher education, she
moved to New York City to pursue a Bachelors in Government and Political Science from Manhattan
College. She then went on to graduate work in Urban Affairs from Queens College and completed
a fellowship from The New York Immigration and Coro. In 2004, Ms. Alcantara was one of 25
individuals selected by United Way of New York to be a Junior American Leader.
Marisol Alcantaras passion has always been to educate and empower minorities, women and
immigrant workers. Witnessing all of her familys hard work, she dedicated her professional life to
uplift all who are disenfranchised. Ms. Alcantara has been at the forefront of political arenas locally
and nationally, whether organizing Latinos for the 2008 presidential election or working as Campaign
Manager to Elect City Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez in 2001 and 2008. In 2004, she coordinated
the SEIUs Latino outreach efforts and supervised member volunteers in Southern Florida during
the 2004 presidential election. She was the Co-Director of the Caribbean Power in Vote in Broward
County, Florida for SEIU, and currently works as a Union Organizer /Representative for the New York
State Nurses Association.
For more than 10 years, Ms. Alcantara has dedicated her efforts to protecting the rights of low wage
workers as a union delegate for such labor unions as SEIU 32BJ, SEIU 758, HERE Local 100 and the
Immigrant Worker Assistance Alliance. She has served as the national chapter coordinator for the Rev.
Al Sharptons National Action Network.
Marisol Alcantara has lived in Hamilton Heights for the last 12 years, and was active with Community
Board 9. As a parent, she has lobbied for public schools and for creating more green spaces in our
communities.
In 2010, Ms. Alcantara ran and won the Democratic District Leader
position in West Harlem and will be running for the State Senate seat
in the 31st district of Manhattan. She has participated on numerous
panels, and as a speaker for Cornell School of Labor Studies, Womens
Labor Conference, the National Organization for Women, WBAI and
Hostos Community College.
Marisol Alcantara was selected as a 2015 Woman

of Distinction by Senator Adriano Espaillat.
Women of
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Catherine A. Allain,
Ph.D. Edu.
atherine A. Allain, Ph.D. Edu. serves as the Principal of the Berlin Central High School.
Her dedication to young people is legendary she demonstrates on a daily basis her concern for
each and every student and shares her encouragement for their success.
Dr. Allain serves her community in many capacities, including as a board member of the
Rensselaer County Sexual Assault and Crime Victims program and Together Reducing Drug and
Alcohol in our Communities for Berlin. She also serves on the Sage Colleges Advisory Committee,
is President of the Berlin Administrators Association and is a member of Community Coalition
Against Drugs for Hoosick Falls. Dr. Allain volunteers as a Sunday School teacher for Our Lady of
the Snow Parish in Grafton.
Dr. Allain is a graduate of Catholic Central High School and the Sage Colleges. She has been
married to Josef Allain for 40 years and has three children. She credits many people as major
influences in her life including her mother, Catherine Hulihan, for raising seven children on
her own, her grandparents, Ann and Thomas Hulihan, her teacher, peer and good friend Sr. Mary
Kennan McGowan and her first employer, Mrs. Dolores Parker.
Dr. Allain is truly an inspiration to all of her students. She believes
that if they have a goal in life and stay focused on that goal, nothing
in life can stop them from obtaining it.
Catherine A. Allain, Ph.D. Edu. was selected as a 2015

Woman of Distinction by Senator Kathleen Marchione.
Women of
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Jane Aoyama-Martin
ane Aoyama-Martin is the Executive Director of the Pace Womens Justice Center (PWJC) at Pace Law
School in White Plains, New York. Founded in 1991, PWJC is dedicated to eliminating domestic violence
and elder abuse. To do so, it provides training, community education and outreach, and free civil legal
services to victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and elder abuse.
Ms. Aoyama-Martin has been active in the anti-domestic violence movement throughout her professional
life, and she has seen to it personally that women find their voice in the midst of such violence. She is a
founding and former board member of the New York Asian Womens Center the first project on the East
Coast to organize women on the problems of battering and sexual assault in the Asian community.
Ms. Aoyama-Martin serves on the Board of The Havens Relief Fund Society, a private foundation that
helps individuals and families overcome crises. She lectures and trains new attorneys, and for many years
was a key instructor at the Intensive Trial Skills Training for Effective Representation of Battered Women,
sponsored by the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence.
An active member of the Westchester Womens Agenda, Ms. Aoyama-Martin is also involved with the
Westchester County Domestic Violence Council, 9th Judicial District Gender Fairness Committee, Lawyers
Committee Against Domestic Violence, New York State Maintenance Standards Coalition and Westchester
Womens Bar Association.
Ms. Aoyama-Martin has spent most of her life in public service; her first legal job was serving the poor
as a legal services attorney in upstate New York. She has worked as a New York State Assistant Attorney
General, solo practitioner and senior associate in a private firm. Prior to serving as Pace Womens Justice
Center Executive Director, she supervised the New York City Legal Aid Societys family law practice in the
Bronx and Harlem, and co-supervised the Societys city-wide domestic violence project.
Ms. Aoyama-Martin is an important presence in the fight for basic human
rights, whether it be combatting domestic violence, sexual assault, elder
abuse or poverty. She works tirelessly to ensure that those who are made
to feel small know that they have a real voice and that they can be saved.
Jane Aoyama-Martin was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins.
Women of
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Mary Ann Ashley
ary Ann Ashley is passionate about giving back to the community where she lives and works.
Ms. Ashley has served in many professional capacities, including as a NYSARC Case Manager, Canton Youth
Center Director and as St. Lawrence County Youth Bureau Director. For the past 25 years, she has worked
with youth in her community as a St. Lawrence Lewis-BOCES School Counselor, including in the Special
Education Division, and now at the Seaway Career and Technical Education Center. In addition, Ms. Ashley
was Co-President of the St. Lawrence Lewis BOCES Teachers Association, President of the Northern Zone
Association for Counselors and Development, and a member of the St. Lawrence County Branch of the
American Association of University Women.
Elected to serve two terms on the Canton Central School Board, Ms. Ashley was also very active in the
parent teacher associations while her son went through school. She was instrumental in creating the
Canton Central Golden Bear Foundation and Gay Straight Alliance Program.
Ms. Ashley was elected to the Canton Village Board for two terms, and is entering her second year as
Mayor, where she has earned a reputation for working in a bipartisan way to help improve her community.
When Ms. Ashley became a trustee, she pledged to return her salary to the Canton community. In her first
year, she developed a kayak rental program, purchasing 10 kayaks for the public to enjoy the Grasse River.
Over five years, she has donated nearly $25,000 to community groups, including the Canton Community
Fund, Grasse River Heritage, Canton Rushton Canoe Weekend, Canton Chamber of Commerce Winterfest,
Canton Recreation Program, the Canton Fire Department and Traditional Arts in Upstate New York.
Ms. Ashley is a graduate of Ogdensburg Free Academy, and earned her
Associates in Criminal Justice at SUNY Canton, Bachelors in Human
Services from SUNY Plattsburgh and Masters in General Education from St.
Lawrence University. She earned her permanent Certificate of Advanced
Study as a School Administrator from SUNY Plattsburgh.
Mary Ann Ashley was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator Patricia A. Ritchie.
Women of
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Susan Auriemma
usan Auriemma is a devoted mother who suffered a near-tragedy, leading her to become a tireless
and passionate advocate for child safety.
Ms. Auriemmas life was forever changed when she was backing her sport utility vehicle up a driveway and
her youngest daughter ran out of the house. Ms. Auriemma was unable to see her daughter behind her,
and struck her. Her daughter survived with only minor injuries, but Ms. Auriemma was so shaken that she
began to immerse herself in advocacy to help save lives and protect other families.
What started with a letter to her local community newspaper grew into Ms. Auriemma becoming a
national safety advocate. She has appeared on television and has traveled across the nation to tell her
story and discuss steps drivers can take to prevent back-over tragedies. Ms. Auriemma has worked
with other families andKidsAndCars.org a national nonprofit child safety organization dedicated to
preventing child motor vehicle injuries and death. Their work resulted in the passage of a federal law
which will establish rearview cameras as standard equipment on all cars by 2018. Ms. Auriemma now
serves as a Vice-President with KidsAndCars.org, providing public education, raising awareness about backovers and non-crash incidents and working with survivor advocate families.
Locally, Ms. Auriemma co-chaired the Coalition for a Safer Manhasset, an organization to improve safety
for pedestrians and drivers through the Manhasset business district. The Coalition has worked to enhance
safety along Plandome Road and encourage drivers and pedestrians to be more safety conscious. Ms.
Auriemma also served as a Trustee for the Village of Munsey Park and is involved with numerous local
community organizations.
In recognition of her efforts, Ms. Auriemma was named an Exceptional Mother of Inspiration
byKidsAndCars.organd was inducted into the Town of North Hempsteads May W. Newburger Womens
Roll of Honor.
Ms. Auriemma resides in Manhasset, and is the proud mother of three
children Julia, Ben and Kate.
Sue Auriemma was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator Jack M. Martins.
Women of
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Gail Lynch Bailey
ail Lynch Bailey has been an active volunteer in numerous community organizations and events for
over 25 years. Her dedication and commitment to community is exemplary, and Ms. Baileys countless hours of
involvement and generous volunteering has made many positive impacts that will last generations.
Ms. Bailey began her volunteerism as a Cub Scout den leader in 1989, a youth soccer mom and Parent Teacher
Association volunteer at West Middle Island Elementary School. She was an integral force behind the passage
of bond votes to upgrade and expand school district facilities. Ms. Bailey progressed through various PTAs as
her sons moved through school, and served as President of the Longwood PTA Council. In addition, she served
as president of both the nonprofit Longwood Alliance and the Middle Island Civic Association.
Ms. Baileys commitment to her community is exemplified in her creation of the Veterans Memorial project at
Bartlett Pond Park. The Park honors all of Longwood community veterans dating back to the Revolutionary
War.
In 2010, the Town of Brookhaven recognized Ms. Bailey as Woman of the Year for all her outstanding civic
achievements. In 2011, she received the Carl Verdi Community Pride Award from the Longwood Central School
Districts Board of Education for building lasting bridges between the school district and community.
Ms. Baileys generous donation of her free time has truly made many lasting, positive impacts on the area. She
has utilized her leadership skills to help build a better community for all residents.
Ms. Bailey and her husband, Frank, are the parents of two sons, Brendan
and Trevor.
Gail Lynch Bailey was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator Kenneth P. LaValle.
Women of
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Janice Barto
anice Barto has been a committed educator at Tioga Central School for the past 25 years. Over
that time, she has taught, coached, advised and nurtured the minds of thousands of students in her
community.
Ms. Barto has devoted much of her career toward substance abuse education and prevention, serving
as an advisor for Students Against Drunk Driving and YES! LEADS, a unique youth leadership program
focused on drug and alcohol prevention. She has worked with SADD for 25 years and with YES! since
its inception in 1989.
As part of the YES! Program, Ms. Barto supervises 50 high school leaders each year as they work to
educate students in grades 3 through 6 about the dangers of substance abuse. She helps them plan
fun and safe activities, like their annual Christmas Social for 5th and 6th graders.
Ms. Barto also coordinates YES! LEADS student volunteers each year at the summer recreation
program, which is attended by hundreds of elementary students; she has held several positions there,
including Director, Co-Director and Character Education Director.
During her teaching career, Ms. Barto served 12 years on the Tioga Central Teachers Association Board,
where she has also served on the Executive Committee and as Vice President and President.
Outside of school, Ms. Barto is just as active in working with children in the community. She coached
Nichols-Tioga Little League for two years and has held the positions of Board Member, Player Agent
and President. She also spent four years as the Tioga Youth Softball Coach.
Ms. Barto is an active Newark Valley Baptist Church member, teaching
Sunday School for the past 15 years, and volunteering in the nursery
for 17 years.
Ms. Barto graduated from State University of New York at Cortland and
has two children, Danielle and Derrick.
Janice Barto was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator Thomas W. Libous.
Women of
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Wendy Bleier-Mervis
endy Bleier-Mervis is the Executive Director of Camp Good Days and Special Times, Inc., a notfor-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for children, adults and families whose
lives are touched by cancer and other life threatening challenges. In addition to managing the residential
camping programs at Keuka Lake in Branchport, Ms. Bleier-Mervis oversees summer staff and volunteers
for Camp Good Days, as well as many important fundraising events.
Ms. Bleier-Mervis was instrumental in the creation, development, implementation and growth of the
Womens Oncology Program one of the fastest growing programs at Camp Good Days. She has served
as the Commissioner for the Annual Teddi T Sports Fest, which included a 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament,
Youth Sports Clinics and Talkin Sports Dinner.
Ms. Bleier-Mervis received degrees from Colgate University and The College at Brockport, and has put those
skills to good use at Leary Elementary School, where she has taught physical education for eleven years.
An acknowledged high school athlete herself, Ms. Bleier-Mervis served as the junior varsity girls basketball
and softball coach both at Rush-Henrietta High School and Irondequoit High School, and as the varsity girls
softball coach at Rush-Henrietta High School. In 1998, she was selected Varsity Softball Coach of the Year
in Monroe County by her peers.
While with Rush-Henrietta, Ms. Bleier-Mervis served as faculty advisor to both the Leary Elementary
School Student Council and Leary Elementary School Safety Patrol, and was a member of the Instructional
Council on Physical Education, the New York State Recreation & Park Society, Inc., the New York State
Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, and the American Alliance for Health,
Physical Education, Recreation & Dance.
Currently, Ms. Bleier-Mervis serves on the Colgate University Athletic Council, and is a member of American
Camping Association and the Monroe County Council of Agency Executives.
She chairs the Rochester Monroe County Youth Bureau Board, and serves on
the Board of Directors for the Monroe County Water Authority and on the
Board of Trustees for the Finger Lakes Museum.
Ms. Bleier-Mervis resides in the Town of Pittsford with her husband, Gary.
Wendy Bleier-Mervis was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator Richard M. Funke.
Women of
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Jacqueline Campbell
acqueline Campbells passion for community work was ignited at a young age on the Island of Jamaica,
when she started attending political rallies with her grandmother. By the age of 12, she became a youth
leader in the local YWCA, and at age 14, she organized a track and field competition in her neighborhood,
aimed at uniting the youth in her community. Ms. Campbell eventually immigrated to the United States
and attended Baruch College in New York, where she was elected Senior Business Senator in the Student
Government.
For a number of years, Ms. Campbell was the chaperone for young women of the Miss Jamaica USA Beauty
Pageant, although she was barely older than many of the contestants. The pageant was sponsored and
organized by the Jamaica Progressive League, a long-standing Jamaican-American political organization. In
1983, Ms. Campbell founded and was named president of the Suburbia Sports Club in Queens, and in 1991,
she was honored for her contributions to the organization. Ms. Campbell was also Vice-President of the PTA at
PS-195, in Rosedale, Queens.
A resident of Rosedale since 1991, Ms. Campbell has always recognized the need for a grassroots
organization in her community, and contemplated starting a block association for many years. In 2013, with
encouragement from other community leaders, she founded the 147th Road Block & Community Association
and is its president.
Ms. Campbell is a member of the Idlewild Watershed Communities Planning Committee-New York Risings
Community Reconstruction Program, a state initiative announced by Governor Cuomo in April 2013 to provide
rebuilding and resiliency assistance to communities damaged by Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm Lee and
Hurricane Sandy.
Ms. Campbell volunteers with the American Cancer Society Program ACS CAN Advocacy Group, Making Strides
Against Breast Cancer and the AARP Advocacy Program. She is also
involved with the alumni associations of her alma maters.
Ms. Campbell is a woman of many talents, passions and accomplishments.
Her unwavering commitment to bettering community is an admirable
inspiration and something to be revered.
Jacqueline Campbell was selected as a 2015 Woman

of Distinction by Senator James Sanders, Jr.
Women of
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Master Sergeant
Sue Clark
aster Sergeant Sue Clark was raised in the Hudson Valley and moved to Western New York with her
late husband, Robert Clark, in 2008. Enlisting in the United States Air Force in 1980, she served almost six years
as a Morse Code Operator and Information Manager.
Master Sergeant Clarks Air Force tours are impressive and include San Vito Air Station, Italy, and Pease Air
Force Base, New Hampshire. In 1993, Master Sergeant Clark joined the Air National Guard as an Information
Manager, stationed at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii, Greeley Air Station in Colorado, Stewart Air National
Guard Base in New York and, lastly, at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station in New York, where she was the 107th
Airlift Wing Commanders Executive Assistant for four years. During her early years with the Air National Guard,
Master Sergeant Clark was also a civil service technician, performing the duties as an administrative assistant at
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maryland, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in Hawaii and New Orleans Naval Station
in Louisiana.
Master Sergeant Clark has deployed to the jungles of Columbia, South America, for a drug interdiction
mission, a Medflag Exercise to South Africa and, most recently, Joint Base Balad, Iraq, supporting Operation
Iraqi Freedom. Her many personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal (2 awards), Air Force
Commendation Medal (2 awards), Air Force Achievement Medal (6 awards), Iraqi Campaign Medal and
numerous other unit, campaign and service awards. In addition, Master Sergeant Clark, who retired on May 1,
2012 with 30 years of service to her country, has two associates degrees from the Community College of the Air
Force in Computer Science and Information Management.
Master Sergeant Clark loves Western New York and is quoted as saying, There is no other place in this world I
would rather live. She volunteers tirelessly with the North Tonawanda Meals on Wheels, Erie-Niagara Sunshine
Exchange Club, Peace of the City and Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 3-5; she is also a life member of the VFW
Post 12097, American Legion Post 1322 and Disabled American Veterans.
Master Sergeant Clark calls North Tonawanda her home, which she loves
sharing with her family Elena, Don and their two sons, Ethan and Landon
and Chris, Janeth and their daughter, Sofia.
Master Sergeant Sue Clark was selected as a 2015

Woman of Distinction by Senator Robert G. Ortt.
Women of
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Deborah Coates
eborah Coates began her volunteer work in East Meadow with the Meadowbrook Parent Teachers
Association (PTA) in 1980, serving tirelessly as president, and chairing many committees at Meadowbrook and
Clarke Parent Teacher Student Association. From 1999 to 2001, Ms. Coates was president of PTA Council, and
she has earned lifetime memberships to both the New York State and the National PTA.
Ms. Coates was elected to the East Meadow Board of Education in 2002, where she served for six years. She
was Vice President for one year and President for three years. In 2008, Ms. Coates was elected to the Nassau
BOCES Board of Education and was appointed District Clerk in 2014. She currently serves on the Policy
Committee and is a liaison to the Nassau BOCES Educational Foundation.
Since 2008, Ms. Coates has been a member of the board of directors for the Nassau Suffolk School Boards
Association and serves on the legislation and nominating committees. She is immediate past president of
Reform Education Financial Inequities Today (R.E.F.I.T.) and continues to serve on the board of directors. In
2014, she received the New York State School Boards Association Board of Mastery Award.
A member of the East Meadow Kiwanis Club for 10 years, Ms. Coates also co-chairs two fundraising committees
golf and the pancake breakfast. She volunteers at food drives, community Pride Day and cooks dinner for
families at the Ronald McDonald House in Glen Oaks. Ms. Coates is also a civic member of the East Meadow
Chamber of Commerce and has volunteered for more than 20 years with CASA and the Nassau County Jail
Advisory Committee. For her unwavering service to her community, Ms. Coates has received the Pathfinder
Award from the Town of Hempstead and multiple honors from Kiwanis, including Kiwanian of the Year in 2012.
Ms. Coates has been a resident of Town of Westbury, East Meadow School
District, since 1978. She and her husband, Michael, raised four sons there
and they now have three beautiful daughters-in-law and four precious
grandchildren.
Deborah Coates was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator Kemp Hannon.
Women of
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Christine Colligan
hristine Colligan immigrated to the United States on May 31, 1983, as a translator for students who
attended Morven Park Equestrian Institute in Leesburg. She eventually relocated to New York City, where she
worked as a jewelry designer while attending the Parsons New School for Design. She met her future husband
while attending a shoe designing class; they married and have two daughters, Sarah and Becky.
In 2000, Ms. Colligan was elected President of the Korean American Parents Association of Greater New York,
Inc. (KAPA-GNY), where she has successfully organized the annual Teachers Day Celebration and Respect
Your Teachers as Your Own Parents events for the past fifteen years.
Ms. Colligan has been serving as a parent coordinator at Junior High School #189 in Flushing, Queens, since
2003. As coordinator, she is steadfast in her mission to encourage parents to get involved with their childrens
education. With that in mind, she hosts monthly parent workshops where she relays current, updated
information from the New York City Department of Education, serving as a bridge between public schools and
Korean American parents whose mission is to help their children achieve to the best of their ability.
To further expand childrens opportunities, Ms. Colligan launched an international inter-governmental
education program between the New York City Department of Education and the Education Department
in Pusan, South Korea. The program allowed 50 outstanding Korean teachers to visit New York City public
schools in 2008, in order for them to experience and learn about the American educational system and
to share their ideas. Along these same lines, in 2009 and 2010, Ms. Colligan was selected to serve as an
Ambassador of Teach and Learn In Korea (TALK), a scholarship program for American college students who are
interested in teaching English at rural elementary schools in Korea.
A multi-talented cross cultural singer, Ms. Colligan plays violin for the orchestra at the Korean American
Presbyterian Church of Queens, and was a guest singer at the first and second Annual Dr. Martin Luther
King Birthday Celebration at I.S. 237. She is fluent in English, Korean and Japanese, and is currently learning
Spanish and Chinese.
Ms. Colligan was born in Seoul, Korea, in 1954, the middle child of nine
children to Jong Ja Lee and Soon Sung Choi, a developer of the first car
made in Korea created from scrap metal from Jeeps used by the United
States Army.
Ms. Colligan is a proud woman who loves America and hopes to continue
helping her community to grow and prosper.
Christine Colligan was selected as a 2015

Woman of Distinction by Senator Tony Avella.
Women of
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Kim Condon
im Condon is Executive Director of Daystar for Medically Fragile Children, Inc. She helped
establish Daystar as New York States first and only pediatric day-respite center specifically designed to
provide a broad range of psychosocial, developmental and healthcare supports for families of children
with serious medical complexities. Ms. Condons work is dedicated to making childrens lives better, and
there is no nobler goal than that.
Since joining Daystar in January 2013, the agency has experienced unprecedented growth, quadrupling
its service capacity, doubling its teaching and pediatric nursing staff and increasing its annual operating
budget by more than 200%. During her tenure, Ms. Condon has developed new care coordination
services and enhanced family education and training programs, expanded its partnership with Early
Intervention and formalized its partnership with Golisano Childrens Hospital, to deliver preventive
healthcare services onsite.
Under Ms. Condons stewardship, Daystars innovative, multi-disciplinary model has changed the
dialogue about the future of medically fragile children in New York State. Lacking a dedicated source of
funding, Ms. Condon has compelled Daystar to pursue innovative, effective and impactful community
collaborations to achieve improved outcomes for its young clientele. Under Ms. Condons leadership,
Daystar provides a comprehensive blend of all the best resources for children with serious medical needs,
at a fraction of the cost.
Ms. Condon brings visionary leadership and a wealth of experience in the private and non-profit sectors
to her advocacy efforts, having spent more than 15 years in the field representing the interests of more
than 100 health and human service providers, national corporations
and public policy advocacy groups. Daystar would not be where
it is today, helping children and their families in a way no other
organization can, without Kim Condons dedication, hard work and
perseverance.
Kim Condon was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator Joseph E. Robach.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Marsha K. Connor
arsha K. Connor, an American Gold Star Mother, was elected President and Treasurer of the American Gold Star Mothers,
Chapter #15, in October 2013.
As the chapters president, Ms. Connors consistent goal is to increase fellowship among the Gold Star Mothers and to perpetuate the
noble principles for which their children fought and died. She also promotes respect for our nation, by assisting veterans and active-duty
military members in the Central New York community.
In 2014, the New York Department of American Gold Star Mothers appointed Ms. Connor to the position of Americanism Chairman. Since
then, she has successfully directed and encouraged her chapter members to increase their participation in all patriotic events, like the
annual Veterans Day Ceremony.
Ms. Connor became an active Gold Star Mother about a year after her beloved son, Lieutenant Patrick Kelly Connor, a Navy Flight Officer,
was killed during a combat mission in the Persian Gulf War in 1991. During Patricks burial ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, she
was presented with the folded American flag and a Gold Star Mothers pin. Ms. Connor knew that she wanted to forever honor her sons
strong faith and ideals.
In 1992, Ms. Connor and her family established the Lt. Patrick Kelly Connor USN Scholarship to help develop new leaders in the United
States Military. To date, 31 high school graduates from Central New York have been proud scholarship recipients. Her family is also
extremely proud that the Syracuse VA Medical Center dedicated its conference room in memory of Patrick on February 2, 1998, where
pictures and service medals grace the walls.
Ms. Connor has also been the Veterans Administration Volunteer Service Chapter Chairman since 2006. In this role, sher works to provide
hospitalized veterans with various personal supplies and clothing. She also visits hospitalized veterans to lift their spirits through various
activities and to offer their family members resources and support.
Raised in Missouri, she graduated from the Columbia School of Nursing with a BSN. She was an operating room nurse at the University
of Missouri Medical Center until she moved to New York with her husband, William, in 1985. She then became an operating room nurse
at Community General Hospital, where she helped care for countless patients until she retired from the hospital after nearly 20 years. In
addition, she has been an active member with Stonecroft Ministries, a non-denominational organization with active outreach
to military wives and families.
Ms. Connor attributes much of her inspiration to her faith, family and community. She currently resides in Marcellus with her husband.
The couples oldest son, Jeffrey, is an active duty Naval Officer, helping to develop a new
naval surface craft. Their youngest son, Scott, currently lives in Philadelphia and works in the
healthcare research field.
Ms. Connor has dedicated her life, both personally and professionally, to improving the lives
of others. She is an unsung hero and a true testament to the power of strength, hope and
patriotism. Her tireless efforts will have a long-lasting impact on her community, state
and nation.
Marsha K. Connor was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator John A. DeFrancisco.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Amy Cram
my Cram is a business owner in Seneca County who is dedicated to advancing the careers of women
within her business, Bill Cram, Inc. In the predominately male automotive industry, Ms. Cram has placed
women in important positions such as general managers, service advisors, development specialists, and
finance and business administrators. By encouraging women to explore careers, she is an example of how
women can forge a path of leadership and achieve their full potential.
Ms. Cram built, designed and has run a state-of-the-art Chevrolet dealership since 2012. Her business remains
one of only five percent of General Motors dealerships run by women in the country. Ms. Cram has received
commendations such as the Chamber Business of the Month award, regional sales awards and the GM Mark
of Excellence Award in 2012 and 2013.
Ms. Crams service to the community extends far beyond her professional life. She is a member of numerous
organizations including the Seneca County Chamber of Commerce, National Auto Dealers Association, Finger
Lakes Region of the Red Cross, National Down Syndrome Society and Womens National Hall of Fame. She also
developed a new fundraising event that raised $10,000 for the Happiness House Foundation.
As evidenced by Ms. Crams many accomplishments, she maintains a high level of success and is dedicated to
excellence in her field. She is a pioneer for women in the automotive and
business workforces and is a truly a distinguished, yet humble individual,
worthy of recognition for her hard work and achievements.
Amy Cram was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator Michael F. Nozzolio.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Carrie Davis
arrieDavis, MSW, currently serves as the Chief Programs & Policy Officer at The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual
& Transgender Community Center (The Center) in New York City. Ms. Davis oversees The Centers human services
programming for LGBT youth, adults and families, as well as The Centers policy and education services.
These programs provide over 9,000 LGBT people annually with community-based services to foster healthy
identity and family development. These include substance abuse, mental health, HIV and AIDS, economic and
educational opportunity, family creation and relational support, foster care resources, insurance navigation,
and immigration support through the delivery of a range of supportive interventions, advocacy, outreach,
education and capacity-building.
As a transgender peer, Ms. Davis began working with The Center in 1998 to address the needs of transgender
sex-workers, initially through nighttime street outreach. As a counselor, and later as a coordinator for The
Centers Gender Identity Project (GIP), her work focused on offering counseling and groups for transgender and
gender non-conforming youth, adults and partners. During this period, she was responsible for developing
the core of The Centers transgender cultural competency training curriculum and has since delivered that
curriculum to more than 5,000 providers including government agencies, not-for-profit agencies and schools.
Ms. Davis has worked collaboratively with the New York Department of Homeless Services, Police Department,
Commission on Human Rights, Department of Correction, Human Resources Administration and others to
develop guidelines, policies, regulations and best practices to better serve transgender and gender nonconforming people. In fall 2014, after 11 years of direct advocacy by Carrie and a coalition of others, New
York Citys City Council and the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) approved
regulations to enable transgender people to obtain revised birth certificates without genital surgery.
Ms. Davis currently serves on the HIV Health & Human Services Planning Council of New York and the New York
City Police Department LGBT Advisory Committee. The 2ndedition of Gary
Mallons Social Work Practice with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender
People included her chapter on Social work practice with transgender and
gender non-conforming people. She joined the Hunter College School of
Social Work in 2007 as an Adjunct Lecturer and served in this role through
2014.
Carrie Davis was selected as a 2015 Woman of Distinction

by Senator Brad Hoylman.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Shihan Jacqueline
Drayton
hihan Jacqueline Drayton is a 5th degree Black Belt with Dai-Ichi Organization and 6th degree Black
Belt with Grand Master Louis Ferrer. Shihan Jackies strong belief in fostering positive youth development by
focusing on confidence building, character development, leadership skills, self-esteem and discipline in
order to create purposeful and productive members of society is manifested in her extreme dedication to her
students.
Shihan Jackie began teaching Martial Arts in 1988 in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx. She
commenced her training in Jujitsu with Michael Black at his dojo in Brooklyns Rutland Plaza. Before long, her
love for forms, Katas, drove her to study Shotokan with Shihan Denis Debranche. In 1990, after the birth of
her daughter, she decided to open her own school in the Crown Heights Youth Collective. In a matter of two
months, she began training over 100 summer camp participants for ten weeks, and spent three years working
closely with Crown Heights Youth Collective and training hundreds of students in the disciplined art of Karate.
With the support of her parents, Shihan Jackie decided to open her first commercial dojo. She named it Kan
Cobra, USA, and began an evolution that would span over 25 years. The most significant turning point came in
1996, when she was offered a contract to work with the Department of Education. She spearheaded a program
to promote self-discipline, self-worth and accountability for a group of eighth grade students who were cutting
class, exhibiting disruptive behaviors and failing their classes. Knowing that her work still was not over, she
went on to design a more enhanced Behavior Modification through Martial Arts program, which incorporated
several character development programs such as Life Skills, Connect With Kids, arts programs, afterschool
programs and annual summer camps all while training in Martial Arts. Shihan Jackies students learned to
build resiliency and a sense of accountability, and ultimately graduated with all of their requirements.
Shihan Jackie has instilled in her students her deep commitment to better their own communities, letting
them know that they have a voice, even at the young age of two. She is currently teaching her character
development program for the Department of Educations 21st Century Community Learning Centers,
Attendance Improvement and Dropout Prevention, GYM for high schools,
day care centers and school-based intervention programs.
Shihan Jackie hopes to continue to bring out the best in her students and
change the world, one Martial Artist at a time.
Shihan Jacqueline Drayton was selected as a 2015

Woman of Distinction by Senator John L. Sampson.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Lou Jean Fleron
ou Jean Fleron credits her family for the belief that a strong democracy requires strong active citizens
and that belief guides her personal and professional lives. A third generation educator, her teaching, research
and civic lives merge to advance democracy and a sustainable, fair economy in her own community. A member
of Cornell University ILR School faculty since 1977, Ms. Fleron currently directs High Road Fellowships, putting
Cornell students to work to revitalize the Greater Buffalo economy.
Ms. Fleron served as Cornell ILRs statewide director of workforce, industry and economic development, and
founded the Institute for Industry Studies. Nationally recognized, these programs provide applied research and
education to employers, unions and policymakers in industries from auto and metals to telecommunications
and the arts. Her original research, Champions @ Work, was a benchmark for labor-management cooperation
and innovative workplace practices in Western New York. A tireless advocate for quality jobs and workers
rights, she served as the first Chair of the City of Buffalo Living Wage Commission.
Ms. Fleron also co-directs the Partnership for the Public Good (PPG), a community-based think tank which
unites more than 185 organizational partners to build a more just, sustainable and culturally vibrant Buffalo.
PPG develops an annual agenda of policy planks, hosts a weekly radio show, and produces publications and
other resources to give the non-profit community and citizens a stronger voice in public policy. In 2013, she
served as Project Director for a collaborative that earned the Open Society Foundations long-term investment in
Buffalo, one of only three sites in the United States.
Residing in Buffalo with her husband, Jack Williams a retired president
of United Steelworkers Local 593 Ms. Fleron is active in politics and
community affairs. She and her husband enjoy their family of three
children, numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren all heirs to
the active citizen legacy.
Lou Jean Fleron was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator Marc C. Panepinto.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Joan A. Furey, RN, MA
oan Furey was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1946 and grew up in Terryville, a small town on Long
Island. She graduated from the Pilgrim State Hospital School of Nursing, in Brentwood, in September 1967. In
June 1968, she was commissioned as Second Lieutenant in the United States Army Nurse Corps.
Upon completing basic training, Ms. Furey was assigned to Letterman General Army Hospital at the Presidio in
San Francisco, California. She worked in the emergency room and the recovery room, where she cared for many
injured who were evacuated from Vietnam. While at Letterman, she volunteered for duty in Vietnam and was
deployed there in January 1969.
Ms. Furey served the Department of Veterans Affairs for 30 years, in a variety of positions in nursing service,
nursing administration and nursing education. As a nurse at the VA Medical Center in Bay Pines, Florida, she
was very involved in the early grassroots efforts to improve health care services to both women and Vietnam
veterans.
In 1989, Ms. Furey became the Associate Director for Education at the VAs newly established National Center for
PTSD in Menlo Park, California. She continued her advocacy for improving VA services for women veterans, and
while there, she co-founded the first inpatient PTSD treatment program for women veterans in the Department
of Veterans Affairs. This got the attention of the New York Times Magazine, which it included as its cover story,
How to Bandage a War.
Ms. Furey served as Director of the VAs newly established Center for Women Veterans from 1994 to 2001. She
has been sought after as a consultant on many national research projects focusing on women veterans issues,
both inside the VA and in the private sector. In addition, she has received many awards the Department of
Veteran Affairs Exceptional Service Award in 2000 and the Department of Veterans Affairs Distinguished Career
Award when she retired in 2004.
Currently, Ms. Furey resides in Sayville, where she remains active in
veterans activities through Sayville Post 433 of the Veterans of Foreign
Wars.
Joan A. Furey, RN, MA was selected as a 2015

Woman of Distinction by Senator Thomas D. Croci.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Cristina Furlong
ristina Furlong is originally from the Finger Lakes Region in New York State, and has lived in Queens
since 2000. She is a founding member of Make Queens Safer, a community group that advocates for pedestrian
safety and livable streets. Make Queens Safer was formed in 2013, after three children were killed by reckless
drivers in less than 10 months in her neighborhood of Jackson Heights, Queens. Together with other street
safety groups and elected officials, Make Queens Safer helped with outreach and advocacy that led to nine new
traffic laws, and a reduction in the speed limit in New York City.
Make Queens Safer works with schools and community groups to promote street safety, holding numerous
educational and safety fairs with free activities, bike rodeos and bike helmet giveaways.
Ms. Furlongs volunteer work began after September 11, 2001 when the World Trade Center fell. After weeks of
volunteering, Ms. Furlong was employed by FEMA and worked in disaster assistance for seven months.
She has also been a Big Sister in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of New York City.
Ms. Furlong is a graduate of Hunter College, CUNY, with a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media Studies, and
worked for many years in corporate video and advertising. After the birth of her son in 2009, she decided
to work a more flexible schedule, and became a bicycle tour guide. Queens is considered the worlds
neighborhood, she notes. I love sharing New York City with tourists from all over the world.
Ms. Furlong lives in Jackson Heights with her husband Rich, and son,
Jackson. She is currently attending the CUNY School of Journalism,
working on a Master of Arts in Social Journalism, and hopes to continue
advocating for the people of New York City.
Cristina Furlong was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator Jose R. Peralta.
Women of
DISTINCTION
The Honorable
Victoria A. Graffeo
he Honorable Victoria A. Graffeo has dedicated much of her time and energies to public service. She
began her career as a Litigation Associate before moving on to serve in a number of roles in state government,
including Chief Counsel to the Assembly Minority Leader of the New York State Assembly, and Counsel at the
New York State Division of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse. In 1995, she became Solicitor General to the New
York State Attorney General, where she was directly responsible for management and rendering of AG opinions
to state agencies and municipalities.
Judge Graffeo began her long and distinguished career on the bench in 1996, when she was appointed to fill
a vacancy on the New York State Supreme Court in the Third Judicial District, and was elected to a full term
in 1997. The following year, she was designated to serve as an additional Associate Justice of the Appellate
Division of the New York State Supreme Court in the Third Judicial District. From this position, she was able to
make a difference at a very high level.
In 2000, Judge Graffeo was nominated to the New York State Court of Appeals by then-Governor George
Pataki. She was confirmed by the State Senate on November 29, 2000, and served on the Court with honor
and distinction until 2014, when she ended her respected tenure as Senior Associate Judge. Judge Graffeo
has authored more than 250 civil and criminal majority opinions of the Court and held numerous judicial
appointments, including Chair of the New York State Federal Judicial Council and Chair of the Advisory
Committee on the Pro Bono Scholars Program.
Judge Graffeo is also actively involved in many community organizations. She was recently inducted into the
Wall of Fame of the American Italian Museum and serves on Albany Law Schools National Alumni Council and
the Board of Directors of Opera Saratoga.
For more than 25 years, Judge Graffeo has been a member of the Zonta Club of Albany, an organization that
provides volunteer services and support programs to improve the economic status of women and children in
the Capital District. She is a past treasurer and board member of the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association and an
auxiliary member of the Boyd Hilton Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 7062.
Judge Graffeo was a glowing success in her career and has not forgotten
her community in the process. Staying active in volunteer work, she
continues to fight for better lives for women and children and for justice for
all dedicating her life and career to public service.
The Honorable Victoria A. Graffeo was selected as

a 2015 Woman of Distinction by Senator George A.
Amedore, Jr.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Kamillah M. Hanks
amillah M. Hanks is a native Staten Islander, who has been a leader and advocate for smart growth
and positive economic development in the North Shore of Staten Island for the past decade. Ms. Hanks is
currently the founder and president of the Historic Tappen Park Community Partnership, Inc., where she
partners with civic leaders, businesses, community groups and schools to boost cultural and economic
development in the Stapleton area and surrounding community.
In January 2015, the Historic Tappen Park Community Partnership was named one of seven winners of New
York Citys Neighborhood Challenge award, which granted the local community-based organization $70,000,
for its ambitious district-wide marketing campaign, and public art installation project called, Illuminate
Stapleton.
She currently serves as interim president of the Van Duzer Street Civic Association in Stapleton, and was the
former executive director of the Downtown Staten Island Council, helping to lead the organizations effort to
bring greater economic development to the Islands North Shore. She also served on the City Council Districting
Commission in 2012. Ms. Hanks worked in public relations at the Staten Island Museum, the Staten Island
Economic Development Corporation and Stanton Crenshaw Communications.
In 2009, Ms. Hanks was the National Council of Negro Women Honoree as well as an SIEDC 20 Under 40
Leadership Award Winner. She is also an alumna of Coro Neighborhood Leadership Program NYC, which
provides its participants in the commercial revitalization field with the resources they need to address complex
challenges within their neighborhoods.
In 2001, Ms. Hanks worked with producers and starred in a Staten Island documentary short film, Ferry Tales,
which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2004.
Staten Island Borough President James Oddo appointed Ms. Hanks in
February 2014 to serve as Staten Islands representative to the New York
City Panel for Education Policy.
Ms. Hanks resides in Stapleton Staten Island with her four children.
Kamillah M. Hanks was selected as a 2015 Woman

of Distinction by Senator Diane Savino.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Shawyn Patterson Howard
hawyn Patterson Howard serves as the President and CEO of the YMCA of Yonkers. Often referred
to as a trailblazer and game changer, Ms. Howard became the first woman and person of color to lead the
association when appointed in November 2008.
Ms. Howard is a proud graduate of Mount Vernon High, Howard University School of Social Work, and John Jay
College of Criminal Justice where she earned a Masters in Public Administration and Urban Development. Her
family, mentors and education birthed in her a spirit of community development and social activism which she
maintains to this day.
While widely known for her groundbreaking work in HIV/AIDS, public health, criminal justice , education,
housing and urban development, Ms. Howard has developed strong relationships with government and
cross sector leaders on a local, state and national level. As a connector she has always maintained a strong
focus on developing systemic solutions that will address the complex social determinants that have plagued
our communities for decades. She passionately works with her staff and community partners to create
continuums of service and innovative public/private partnerships to serve those who have been marginalized,
disenfranchised and are oftentimes voiceless. Ms. Howards favorite African Proverb is, When spider webs
unite, we can tie up a lion, or as we say in the Y, we are Better Together.
Ms. Howard believes in the untapped leadership potential of young people, women and persons of color and
has worked tirelessly to help them find their voice, passion and purpose while challenging them to become
more intentional about creating their path to servant leadership.
She credits her work to those she serves, those who have mentored her and continue to support her
development, her incredible staff, colleagues and devoted family and friends.
Ms. Howard is the proud wife of Marvin and mother of Nia. She draws
enormous strength from her relationship with Christ, her expansive family
and the Greater Eternal Light Church where she serves as an Evangelist.
Shawyn Patterson Howard was selected as a 2015

Woman of Distinction by Senator Ruth HassellThompson.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Cantor Dr. Mindy Jacobsen
antor Dr. Mindy Jacobsen was born in Miami, Florida, where she was one of the first blind children
allowed to be mainstreamed in the public school system. She currently lives in Brooklyn with her husband,
Carl.
At age 21, Ms. Jacobsen fulfilled her dream of living independently, when she moved to New York City. While
there, she received her Music Education degree, was ordained as the first blind woman cantor in Judaisms long
history, and in 2004, accepted an honorary Doctorate of Music from her alma mater, The Hebrew Union College,
Institute of Religion, School of Sacred Music.
As one of the first women in the cantor, Ms. Jacobsen officiated and sang in concerts throughout the country,
hoping to educate the public about the capabilities of women cantors and to get congregations used to the
sound of womens voices executing the vocal art, which up until that point had been performed only by
men.
Ms. Jacobsen served for 13 years in the senior administration of the Jewish Braille Institute of America, now JBI
International. During that time, she directed the library and the recording studio, where the Talking Books for
the Blind were recorded.
Ms. Jacobsen was a pioneer in the early days of speech access technology for the blind. As one of the first
technology specialists with the New York State Commission for the Blind, she recommended the equipment to
help open up new positions for blind and visually impaired workers, making it possible for blind employees to
do their jobs more efficiently.
As Director of the Brooklyn Chorus of Sweet Adelines International, Ms. Jacobsen led the group to three first
place regional championships in their division. She has since stepped down as the Director, but still sings with
the chorus and happily serves as its Assistant Director.
Ms. Jacobsen currently works to help seniors who experience vision loss by
facilitating support groups and teaching seniors to use computers which
are adapted especially for blind and visually impaired individuals. Ms.
Jacobsen asserts that, with proper training and the right attitudes about
ourselves, we can live the lives we want.
Cantor Dr. Mindy Jacobsen was selected as a 2015

Woman of Distinction by Senator Jesse E. Hamilton, III.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Joan Kaplan
oan Kaplan, an accomplished public servant and community advocate, heads up the Elaine and William
Kaplan Family Foundations. The Foundations have aided in countless projects that have benefited the greater
Newburgh Area, and Ms. Kaplans work is well-recognized and respected in her community and beyond.
A graduate of Mount Saint Mary College and Columbia University, Ms. Kaplan is a licensed clinical social
worker. She is a board member for the Newburgh Armory Unity Center, where children and young people of
the greater Newburgh area can come together for athletic and educational opportunities, as well as learn and
experience important lessons that will help them grow into responsible and productive adults. The Center
aims to embody and promote civic unity among people of diverse racial, ethnic, religious and economic
backgrounds and conditions. Its focus is on two primary areas of education: programs for K-6th grade
reading, athletics, health and wellness and programs leading to naturalization, including English as a Second
Language, GED, computer usage and preparation for citizenship.
Ms. Kaplan also serves as a Board Member for Hospice of Orange and Sullivan Counties, whose goal it is to
improve the quality of a patients life by offering comfort and dignity. Hospice provides much needed support
to individuals with terminal illnesses, and is a specialized concept of care designed to provide comfort and
support to patients and their families facing terminal illness.
A tireless advocate for children and families, Ms. Kaplan is a member of the Mount Saint Mary College Board of
Directors, whose mission it is to give its students a Catholiccultural-professional education in the liberal arts
tradition. This distinctive approach provides the philosophy of commitment to educating the whole person
and to cultivating intellectual achievement, religious and spiritual growth, and the development of moral
character.
Ms. Kaplans commitment to teach, support and encourage individuals in
all stages of life will be felt for generations to come.
Joan Kaplan was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator William J. Larkin, Jr.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Patricia E. Kennedy
atricia E. Kennedy, Springbrook Chief Executive Officer, is a strategic leader dedicated to providing
the most compassionate, skilled, and leading edge supports for individuals with developmental disabilities.
She has established herself as a prominent figure among New York States strong special education and
developmental disabilities service industryguiding Springbrook through an unprecedented period of growth
and transformation from a small local organization with 200 employees to a commanding statewide agency
with over 1,200 employees, a $50 million operating budget, supporting over 850 individuals of all ages.
Ms. Kennedy earned her Special Education Administration CAS from Syracuse University. She received her
masters degree from Syracuse University in Special Education, and her Bachelor of Science from the State
University College at Oswego.
Before she assumed her role as Springbrooks Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Kennedy served as the Director
of Education for the School at Springbrook as a Special Education Training Specialist, Consultant in Special
Education and Special Education Teacher in Oswego.
As, Springbrooks Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Kennedy has focused on visioning and strategic planning. Among
the many strategic initiatives that she has accomplished for the organization are the establishment of Otsego
Countys only fully integrated preschool program, pilot project for Self-Directed Services, community services
and the establishment of 19 community residences.
Ms. Kennedy oversaw the completion of the largest capital campaign in Springbrooks history. The $25 million
project culminated in the addition of the Tom Golisano Center for Autism that brought 24 young people with
autism spectrum disorders home to New York State from out-of-state placements. The $5 million privately
funded portion of the project was successfully raised due to Ms. Kennedys persistence and commitment
to being both Springbrooks Chief Executive Officer and acting as the primary Development Officer for the
organization.
Ms. Kennedy has received many accolades for her work including being
named the 2005 New York State Developmental Disabilities Council
Administrator of the Year. Her efforts as Springbrook CEO have seen the
organization grow to offer a full range of services including residential,
educational, therapeutic and community support options that span a
persons lifetime.
Patricia E. Kennedy was selected as a 2015 Woman

of Distinction by Senator James L. Seward.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Emily Kessler
mily Kessler, a resident of the Upper West Side of Manhattan is a Holocaust survivor who grew up in
Ukraine. She was born in 1917 in the small town of Khmilny in western Ukraine. In 1941, Nazi officers came to
Ms. Kesslers home and killed her family. Ms. Kessler, a young widow of 24, had to prepare to escape with her
2-year-old son.
Ms. Kessler survived a Ukrainian labor camp without any food or water and eventually escaped with her young
son. She lived on the run for two years before relocating to Kyrgyztan. Despite all she had been through, Ms.
Kessler was able to graduate from college and worked as an editor for a publishing house.
When Ms. Kessler was 60, the anti-Semitism in Kyrgyzstan escalated and she immigrated to the United States.
Although in a better place with more opportunities, Ms. Kessler did not know anyone in the United States and
barely spoke English. She struggled to find happiness while putting her life back together. It was not until
one day in 1985, while walking in Manhattan, where she saw a mandolin in the window of a music store, and
realized that it was time to stop mourning and begin to play the instrument which brought her so much joy.
In November 2014, at 97 years old, Ms. Kessler had the distinct honor of performing the mandolin and singing
songs in Yiddish and Russian at Lincoln Centers Avery Fisher Hall at the 80th Anniversary Benefit Gala for the
nonprofit organization Blue Card. Blue Card is the only organization in the United States exclusively dedicated
to providing assistance to Holocaust survivors.
Ms. Kessler, now 98 years old, is also a cancer survivor and has overcome
two broken hips. She continues to play the mandolin throughout
Manhattan and inspires others through her perseverance, music and words.
Emily Kessler was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator Jose M. Serrano.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Rosemarie Kluepfel
osemarie Kluepfel is an Elwood resident and single mother of three who makes a difference in her
community by devoting countless hours to helping others. Ms. Kluepfel is a New York State Licensed Banking
Mortgage Loan Specialist for Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation. In addition to her mortgage
expertise, she is a writer, speaker and a member of several professional business organizations.
For five years, Ms. Kluepfel coordinated a fashion show, with help of the Walt Whitman Mall, to work with local
residents and the media to raise funds for the Dolan Family Health Center. The Center helps offset health care
costs for those who have lost coverage or who are struggling due to economic challenges.
Also a writer, Ms. Kluepfel wrote Give Me a Voice, in 2012, a song which tells the story through the eyes of a
child being bullied. The song received a five-star rating on iTunes, and all money raised from the sales was
donated to an anti-bullying campaign to help raise awareness in schools.
In 2013, after speaking to a group of homeless veterans at the VA Medical Center in Northport, Ms. Kluepfel was
inspired to write another song, The Reason I Breathe a song with Post Traumatic Stress undertones. She
donated her rights to the song to the Fairway Foundation, the 501(c)3 arm of her employer, allowing them to
use the proceeds of the sale of the CD to raise funds and awareness for the needs of local veterans. Ever since,
she has been an active advocate for veterans causes and a regular fixture at the Nathan Hale Post #1469 and
other veteran-related entities.
In 2014, the Fairway Foundation joined forces with the Office of the Suffolk County Executive to work to award
two mortgage-free homes to local Purple Heart recipients returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Ms. Kluepfel
volunteered her expertise in construction and design to help oversee the renovations. She also solicited the
help of the community to seek out other volunteers and donations toward the rehabilitation
of the distressed properties.
Ms. Kluepfel continues to serve veterans by distributing Purple Hearts
throughout Suffolk County to help raise funds needed for the project.
Rosemarie Kluepfel was selected as a 2015 Woman

of Distinction by Senator Carl L. Marcellino.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Sister Mary Ann

LoGiudice, RSM
ister Mary Ann LoGiudice, RSM is Executive Director of Community Maternity Services, an agency of
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany.

Community Maternity Services is a full spectrum family support services agency that provides a continuum
of services, both residential and community-based. Throughout the Albany Diocese, the organization works
to provide assistance for pregnant and parenting teenage girls and their infants and toddlers, children in
need of foster care and adoptive homes, families seeking to adopt children, and families in crisis.
Sister Mary Ann has been with Community Maternity Services for 37 years, serving in various capacities
and becoming Executive Director in 1990. Prior to that, she served as Executive Director of Arbor House,
a halfway house for women released from incarceration, as Outreach Program Coordinator for St. Patricks
Parish, and as a second grade teacher at the Holy Cross School.
Sister Mary Ann joined the Sisters of Mercy in 1965, and has been actively involved in the Mercy Community
since that time. She has worked on various committees and boards over the last 30 years, including the
Support Ministries for Persons with AIDS, the Community AIDS Partnership of the Capital Region and the
Names Project. Sister Mary Ann had the privilege of adopting Barbara, a child with HIV/AIDS, who lived
with her from 1987 until her death in 1993.
Sister Mary Ann attended Maria College and The College of St. Rose, where
she earned a Bachelor of Education. She received her Masters in Human
Services from Russell Sage College.
Sister Mary Ann LoGiudice, RSM was selected as a 2015

Woman of Distinction by Senator Neil D. Breslin.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Peggy Marone
eggy Marone has been a lifelong advocate for her community, determined to demonstrate to all
youth what they are capable of. Ms. Marone is Director of Leadership Genesee, a one-year program aimed at
enhancing leadership capacities for individuals from all walks of life.
Since 2001, she has encouraged the programs 350 graduates to be team servants of a common goal.
Throughout the program, Ms. Marone introduces participants to an expanded network of professionals and
community stakeholders, fostering a desire for graduates to invest their talents back into the community
where they live and work.
As a 2002 graduate of Leadership Genesee, Ms. Marone is passionate about her community, particularly the
future of the young adults. She volunteers every year for United Ways Day of Caring, serves as a judge for
Operation Graduation at Batavia High School and is a former member of the Genesee County Arts Advisory
Committee.
In addition to her community involvement, Ms. Marone is a strong advocate for theater productions in Genesee
County. For more than 25 years, she has held every theatrical role possible, including actress, director, stage
manager and technical production staff member. In 2010, she received an Excellence in Ensemble Acting from
the Theatre Association of New York State.
With more than 30 years of human resource experience in the industries of hospitality, health care and
manufacturing, Ms. Marones focus is on strategic planning, team building and organizational development.
She was recognized as a YWCA Fabulous Female award recipient in 2009 for her work at Leadership Genesee.
Peggy Marone has made it her lifes mission to enrich the lives of the
youth in her community to make them realize their full potential, while
providing them with the resources and connections to do so. She is a
woman who clearly understands the importance of those who will be
responsible for our future generation.
Peggy Marone was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Randi Martos
andi Martos strong sense of community comes from her lifelong residency in Riverdale.
In 2006, Ms. Martos was elected Female Democratic District Leader of the 81st Assembly District, which
includes Riverdale, Kingsbridge, Van Cortlandt Village, Norwood, Woodlawn and Wakefield. Many Bronxites
know Ms. Martos for her work with Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, as well as with the Benjamin Franklin
Reform Democratic Club and the Bronx Democratic Party.
Nearly 15 years ago, Ms. Martos started her career as Community Liaison for Assemblyman Dinowitz. She
currently serves as the Assemblymans Chief of Staff, overseeing the daily operations of the office, including
media, legislative affairs and office publications as well as supervising staff in both the district and Albany
offices.
Ms. Martos has been an activist for the local public schools since her son, Adam, began at PS 24. She started
as a Parent Association library volunteer, and was eventually elected President of the Parents Association,
serving for three years. Ms. Martos then helped spearhead a campaign to restructure MS 141 into a middle/
high school; after a long, intense battle in 1999 with the community school board and the school district, Ms.
Martos and others successfully created The Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy (RKA). Their goal was to create an
excellent neighborhood based middle/high school to stem the tide of young families who were leaving their
community. This huge victory for the community is one of her proudest accomplishments.
Ms. Martos involvement in the public schools did not end there. In 2000, she brought her enthusiasm to RKA,
when her son entered the school as a 6th grader. In 2001, she was elected Parents Association President, and
was subsequently re-elected six times, making her the longest serving PA President for the school.
One reason Riverdale has remained such a special place to live and grow up in is its strong co-op presence. Ms.
Martos has served on her buildings co-op board for over 24 years, spending 22 of those years as its President.
Whether it is functioning as a parent leader, a co-op leader, or a
community and political leader, Ms. Martos has been a strong and positive
force in the Bronx for over 20 years. She is a tremendous asset to the
community and one of the reasons Riverdale is such a wonderful place.
Ms. Martos lives in Riverdale with her son, Adam.
Randi Martos was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator Jeffrey D. Klein.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Teresa McPhail
eresa McPhail is a longtime resident of Bay Ridge. She has devoted her entire life to educating children
and has impacted thousands in her community, spending her early years teaching in the public school system.
Ms. McPhails primary objective throughout the years has always been to use her skills and education to be a
positive influence, with the goal being to mold children into productive, responsible citizens.
Currently, Ms. McPhail serves as Director of a successful universal pre-kindergarten program operating out
of Gateway City Church. She has cultivated an impeccable reputation among the diverse people of this
community by advocating for everyone who comes through the doors with love and respect for all. Working
in a church ministry for the past 40 years, Ms. McPhail is founder and administrator of two pre-schools, two
elementary schools and a high school.
Ms. McPhail continues to seek out ways to use her skills and her heart to impact children and families in the
community. She partners with P.S. 102 in an After-School Program at Gateway City Academy, conducts annual
summer camp programs that are open to all, spearheads school supplies for poor schools initiatives, organizes
gift cards donations to adolescent clients at Mercy First Foster Care Home, and has created an annual Christmas
toy store for parents who struggle financially to obtain toys.
Ms. McPhail has dedicated her life to helping those in need, especially
children. With her efforts, the children and families of her community have
thrived, and are very grateful for all the work she has done. She holds a
Masters in Early Childhood Education.
Theresa McPhail was nominated as a 2015 Woman

of Distinction by Senator Martin J. Golden.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Missy Miller
issy Miller was born and raised in Atlantic Beach, where she lives with her family today. She and
her husband, Brandon, grew up together and were married 26 years ago. Together, they had three children
Melanie, Kate and Oliver. Melanie suffered from a very rare neurodegenerative disease and passed away at
age seven. Kate is a beautiful young lady, very healthy and in college. Oliver suffered a stroke in utero and has
multiple complex medical issues, but has a fierce determination to overcome the obstacles he continuously
encounters.
Ms. Millers children have inspired her to live life no matter what the challenge. She believes that just because
something is not what you thought or expected, it does not mean that it is not as beautiful or fulfilling in
fact, it may be even more so. Ms. Miller is a believer in never saying something cannot be done and she never
gives up.
Ms. Miller has been a volunteer in a pediatric residency-training program through NS/LIJ Healthcare Systems
for over 20 years. In doing so, she helps to train residents in how to deal with caring for and treating children
with chronic special health care needs. This training helps doctors guide families to provide their children the
best care, and allows them to see the worth these children have and just how special they truly are.
Last year, Ms. Miller had the opportunity to help enhance the Life Skills program at Atlantic Beach High School
where her son Oliver attends school. With her help, the school district was able to introduce a music program
and an adaptive physical education program. The children who participate in this incredible program even had
an opportunity to go to Disney World with their music department peers, where they performed at Epcot.
In the full spirit of helping her children and others, Ms. Miller became very involved in the fight to get legal
access to medical marijuana here in New York State. She visited Senators, lobbied in Albany, educated many
communities, participated in press conferences and media events to spread awareness, and helped get a law
passed that would provide legal access to medical marijuana. Ms. Millers advocacy efforts were instrumental
in gaining the support of key legislators.
Due to the challenges she has faced with her own children, Ms. Miller has
worked tirelessly with programs to help children with special needs and
their families. It is important to recognize Ms. Millers love, hard work and
dedication to her family and her tenacious support of others struggling
with the same issues.
Missy Miller was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator Dean G. Skelos.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Deborah Gordon Mullaney
eborah Gordon Mullaney of Niskayuna is a dynamic, dedicated and passionate civic leader
and advocate for children.
Ms. Mullaney has been a member of the Ellis Medicine Board of Trustees since 2003, and because
of her exceptional leadership skills, was appointed Chair of the Board in 2012. Her reputation
as an outstanding administrator is a direct reflection of her love and dedication to Schenectady
County and especially to young people in the community. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the
Schenectady Foundation and is a member of the board of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Schenectady
and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Schenectady Auxiliary, having served as past President of the
Auxiliary.
In addition, while raising four children, Ms. Mullaney has given her time, talent and energy to
numerous community organizations over the years. She is the past Chair of the Foundation for Ellis
Medicine; a member and past President of the Niskayuna High School PTO; past President of the
Niskayuna DARE program; past President of the Northeast Parent & Child Society; past President of
the Schenectady Theatre for Children; and past President of the Junior League of Schenectady. In
her work with abused and neglected children, Debby founded and served as past Chair of Court,
Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) in Schenectady, advocating for foster children in the family
court and child welfare system.
Ms. Mullaney holds a Bachelors degree in American History from Connecticut College as well as
a Masters degree in Education from the State University of New York at Albany. She has been
honored for her community service with such awards as the YWCA Woman of Achievement, the
Junior League of Schenectady Volunteer of the Year, and as an inductee in the Niskayuna High
School Hall of Fame.
Ms. Mullaney is truly a model of strength and generosity, and a
source of inspiration to the people and families she touches, to
the Schenectady community and beyond.
Deborah Gordon Mullaney was selected as a 2015

Woman of Distinction by Senator Hugh T. Farley
Women of
DISTINCTION
Shirley A. Mullen Ph.D.
hirley Mullen, President of Houghton College, has dedicated more than 40 years of her life preparing
young people to be effective and productive citizens. After nearly 25 years in higher education, Dr. Mullen
returned to her alma mater in 2006.
Dr. Mullens love of education came to her naturally. Her parents each spent over 30 years in education, her
father as a professor of philosophy at Houghton College and her mother as a teacher at Fillmore Central School.
After receiving her bachelors degree, summa cum laude, from Houghton in 1976, Ms. Mullen completed a
Masters in History at the University of Toronto and a Doctorate in History at the University of Minnesota. She
earned a second Doctorate in Philosophy from the University of Wales, to support her research and scholarship
on the Enlightenment in the Modern World.
Dr. Mullens trademark in higher education is her commitment to high ideals and practical impact. Since
returning home to Houghton, she has reinstituted the colleges historic connection to the West African country
of Sierra Leone, extended the colleges engagement in Buffalo through a partnership with Western New
York AmeriCorps, partnered with the Greater Allegany Chamber of Commerce to form Leadership Allegany,
developed a signature Christmas program featuring over 200 student musicians, established the Center for
Faith, Justice, and Global Engagement and moved Houghton athletics toward NCAA-Division III status.
Dr. Mullen serves on the boards of Allegany County United Way, Bread for the World, Fuller Theological
Seminary, the National Association of Evangelicals and the Tax Committee of the National Association of
Independent Colleges and Universities. She has chaired three accreditation review teams for the Middle States
Commission on Higher Education, and in 2012, was named one of Christianity Todays 50 Women You Should
Know. In 2010, Dr. Mullen married Dr. Paul Mills, whose own career as a college president and athletic coach
has enriched her life both personally and professionally.
Shirley Mullen has dedicated her life to the betterment of the world and of
her community. Through the importance of education and volunteer work,
she has created a more enriched life for everyone who crosses her path.
Shirley A. Mullen was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator Catharine M. Young.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Mabel Muniz-Sarduy
abel Muniz-Sarduy is Superintendent of New York City School District 28, diligently
serving the Department of Education for the past 27 years. As District 28 Superintendent, Ms.
Muniz-Sarduy supervises 35 schools in the areas of Forest Hills, Rego Park, Jamaica and Richmond
Hill in Queens. On a daily basis, she assists principals, supervisors, teachers, students and families in
providing a challenging and rewarding educational experience for all District 28 students.
Ms. Muniz-Sarduys career in education is one to be reckoned with. Prior to being named
Superintendent of District 28, she served for 13 years as the Principal of P.S. 86K in District 32. In her
30 years as an educator, Ms. Muniz-Sarduy has worked as an Assistant Principal, Parent Coordinator
and as a teacher in both public and private institutions.
As Principal, Ms. Muniz-Sarduy received a well-developed in her last review for school years 20132014. During the 2012-2013 school years the first year students took the Common Core-Aligned
State exam the P.S. 86K students ranked in the top 10 percent in the City of New York.
Ms. Muniz-Sarduy received her diploma in Administration from Long Island University, her Bachelor
of Science from Hunter College in Interpersonal Communication, and her Masters Degree in Literacy
K-12 from The City University of Hunter College.
Ms. Muniz-Sarduy is married with two adult sons, Rafael and
Jeremy.
Mabel Muniz-Sarduy was selected as a 2015 Woman

of Distinction by Senator Martin Malav Dilan.
Women of
DISTINCTION
JoAnne Luthmann Nolemi
oAnne Luthmann Nolemi is a native Staten Islander, a high school chorus teacher and amateur military
historian. A gifted musician, she is a highly-acclaimed church organist and solo vocalist. Ms. Nolemi has been
educated at City University of New York (CUNY) Lehman (MAT), the CUNY Baccalaureate Program (BS), Juilliard,
Westminster Choir College and the University of Vienna. She values most her diploma from Tottenville High
School in Staten Island, where she has had the privilege of teaching music for the past 19 years.
As an educator, Ms. Nolemi believes the world is the greatest classroom and the people of the community can
be the best teachers. She has dedicated countless after-school hours to giving her students opportunities to
sing for every day heroes. Her highly acclaimed choruses regularly perform at civic events. They have sung at
Carnegie Hall and appeared on Late Night with David Letterman.
As an amateur historian, Ms. Nolemi has dedicated the past five years of her life to compiling and cataloging
data on every Staten Islander killed in American Wars. Her work has expanded the previously accepted
number of casualties from 771 to 1,214 men and women who have sacrificed their lives for our country.
Her labors have uncovered 443 heroes whom history had somehow overlooked or forgotten. Thanks to Ms.
Nolemis passion, they are forgotten no longer.
Ms. Nolemi is able to combine her two passions: the students of Tottenville High School and her Island of
Heroes Project, by introducing her kids to these heroes through story-telling, presentations, research projects
and community projects. Her students have won top honors in New York State and New York City research
competitions with projects based on the lives of these heroes, using Ms. Nolemis research techniques.
Due to her efforts, Tottenville High School recently unveiled three war memorials for their 84 fallen heroes. In
the near future, Ms. Nolemi will share her research with all Staten Island schools and houses of worship, in the
hope that they will follow suit and honor their people who sacrificed their lives for our country.
Ms. Nolemi is the manager of a charity farm, Bountiful Harvest, whose fresh produce is given away to families
in need and to soup kitchens on Staten Island. She also serves as the Music
Minister at Messiah Lutheran Church.
Ms. Nolemi is married to Louis Nolemi. She has great parents, Robert
Luthmann and Anne Lind, four loving siblings and a large extended family.
Her family is very supportive and inspired by her dedication to the fallen
heroes of her community.
JoAnne Luthmann Nolemi was selected as a 2015

Woman of Distinction by Senator Andrew J. Lanza.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Sister Mary Celeste OBryan
ister Mary Celeste OBryan is a Sister of Mercy who has been ministering to Gods people for 65
years. Thousands have been touched by her care, concern and compassionate spirit.
Growing up in Louisville, Kentucky, and Jamestown, New York, along with her parents, Paul and Mary
Bernadette OBryan and eleven siblings, Sister Mary Celeste learned responsibility and the give-andtakeofbeing a memberofa large family. With daily attendance at Mass and family evening prayer as
partof the family routine, each ones spiritual life was also nourished.
After entering the SistersofMercy in September 1950, Sister Mary Celeste began her college experience,
receiving a BachelorofScience in Education from Medaille College and Master of Science in Education from
Buffalo State College. Sister Mary Celeste took additional classes from Canisius College, St. Bonaventure
University and Christ the King Seminary.
For 30 years, Sister Mary Celestes education ministry took her to a numberofSouth Buffalo schools, as
well as to Holley, Mindanao, Philippines, Jamestown, Niagara Falls, Olean, West Seneca, Orchard Park and
Wellsville.
During some sabbatical time, she volunteered to help Sister Jean Frank at the St. Vincent De Paul Soup
Kitchen in Buffalo, and she was also asked to represent the SistersofMercy at the South Buffalo Ecumenical
Association meetings. This organization was exploring the possibilityof starting a South Buffalo Soup
Kitchen.
In June1983, Sister Mary Celeste accepted the position and responsibilityofDirectorofthe South Buffalo
Community Table, presently located at the Good Shepherd Baptist Church. Under her leadership, it has
grown to be one of South Buffalos flagship organizations, serving nearly 20,000 meals every year to the
homeless and needy in the area.
Sister Mary Celestes focus, for 65 years, continues to be a compassionate
love for each person she encounters. Her selflessness leaves an indelible
impact on all those she serves, helping to make South Buffalo and all of
Western New York an even kinder and more welcoming place to call home.
Sister Mary Celeste OBryan was selected as a 2015

Woman of Distinction by Senator Timothy M. Kennedy.
Women of
DISTINCTION
LaQuita Outlaw, Ed.D.
aQuita Outlaw, Ed.D. learned firsthand that life is what you make of it. Growing up in the socio-
economically challenged community of Far Rockaway fueled her determination to become a successful
professional. As Dr. Outlaws educational experiences continued, she resolved to never let those who have
little receive less because of their unfortunate circumstances. It was at that point that she vowed to provide
every child with the best education possible.
After graduating from Queens College, Dr. Outlaw began her teaching career in the New York City Chancellors
District, K263 in Brooklyn, before going to IS 8, in Jamaica, New York. As a middle school English teacher
working in a district whose school was in danger of being taken over by the state, Dr. Outlaw was challenged
to assist students in realizing their highest potential.
Dr. Outlaw began pursuing a graduate degree at Mercy College and accepted a position as a high school
English teacher at Bay Shore High School. Upon completing her Master of Science in Administration and
Supervision, she sought an administrative position within the Bay Shore District. There, she worked closely in
the community and with the staff to enhance every childs educational experience. Earning a doctoral degree
was a natural outgrowth of her desire to develop professionally; she received her doctorate from St. Johns
University in 2004.
Dr. Outlaws work in the community and her commitment to see that every child receives the best education
possible, has motivated her to develop after-school and communitybased programs to enhance childrens school experience. Through these
partnerships, Dr. Outlaw has been recognized as Educator of the Year, was a
recipient of the Black History Month Award, the St. Johns University LEAD
award and many others.
LaQuita Outlaw, Ed.D., was selected as a 2015

Woman of Distinction by Senator Phil Boyle.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Sharon F. Owens
haron Owens, a graduate of Syracuse University, committed much of her energy serving individuals
and families within the fields of housing, community development and human services for almost 30 years.
In May 2013, Ms. Owens became the third Chief Operating Officer of Syracuse Model Neighborhood Facility, Inc.
in the agencys history. Her vision to expand services that infuse human services with community revitalization
initiatives will further serve even more communities in need.
Prior to her position with Syracuse Model Neighborhood Facility, Inc., Ms. Owens served as Deputy
Commissioner of Neighborhood and Business Development for the City of Syracuse. She was instrumental
in administering the Citys Community Development Block Grant funding to help foster the revitalization
of neighborhoods. She also worked to create job opportunities through her many housing, community
development and economic development efforts. In addition, Ms. Owens worked tirelessly to oversee and
manage Section 3 and Minority/Women-Owned Business participation in funded projects.
Prior to joining city government, Ms. Owens served as Deputy Director of Housing for the not-for-profit
agencies Home HeadQuarters, Inc. and Jubilee Homes of Syracuse. In both positions, she was responsible for
program development, grant writing and staff supervision.
Ms. Owens professional accomplishments are deep-rooted in her sense of community. She has developed
relationships with many families throughout Syracuse, assisting them in strengthening their community
through affordable housing programs.
Ms. Owens commitment to people and community is further reflected in
the time she spent with Peoples Equal Action and Community Effort, Inc.
(PEACE), a Community Action Agency of Onondaga County, where she
worked full time as the Early Head Start Family and Community Coordinator
and the Youth Services Component Director.
Sharon F. Owens was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator David J. Valesky.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Libby Pataki
ibby Pataki, who served as the First Lady of New York from 1995-2007, has worked tirelessly
alongside her husband, Governor George E. Pataki, to raise awareness for childrens and womens
health issues and to promote tourism and the arts around the state.
Mrs. Pataki brought the Mothers Day Mammography initiative to New York, which encourages
women to schedule early mammograms. She worked with the New York State Health Department
to promote mobile mammography units in order to reach out to underserved communities. This
initiative drew national attention, with the model now being used across the country. Mrs. Pataki
has been an advocate for the Child Health Plus program, which provides health insurance to underinsured children, and was also a spokesperson for a youth-oriented anti-smoking campaign.
While First Lady of New York, Mrs. Pataki launched the overhauled I Love NY tourism campaign in
1995. She also worked with the New York State Thruway Authority to bring tourism to all area rest
stops, and created public-private partnerships with major New York City art institutions to bring the
Great Art Series to Albany.
In her current position as Director of Putnam County Tourism, Mrs. Pataki has put her home county
on the international radar by including the 2013 Putnam Cycling Classic as part of the Union Cycliste
Internationale (UCI) World Cycling Tour. She has also brought national attention to some of the
countys treasured destinations Breakneck Ridge and the Great Swamp.
A tireless community advocate, Mrs. Pataki has been on numerous task forces to promote women
and tourism. She was president and director of the Ronald Stafford Cancer Support Foundation, and
has been an active voice in promoting the rich history of Putnam
County and its historic sites.
In her spare time, this mother of four has also authored four
childrens books.
Libby Pataki was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator Susan Serino.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Betty Pollack
etty Pollack was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and met her husband at Fort Knox while he was serving
in the Army. After his military return from Korea, the couple moved to New York to live and raise their family.
Ms. Pollack was always a doting parent who was very involved in her childrens schools, helping to organize
fundraising activities, assisting new parents and presiding over many school events.
In 1976, things changed for Ms. Pollack and her family. When Ms. Pollacks tenth child, Eshka, was born, they
were told that she might not survive, and if she did, she might live the rest of her life in a vegetative state.
Fortunately, the experts were wrong, as Eshka today is a beautiful, verbal, ambulatory, funny young woman.
Ms. Pollack remembers how lost she felt while Eshka was growing up and how they had nowhere to turn for
help she made it her mission to change that for families going through the same hardships.
In 1980, Ms. Pollack, together with other families, banded together to form an organization which they called
Otsar meaning Treasures. Due to her initiative and leadership, Ms. Pollack was selected to serve as Executive
Director.
Otsars original intent was to provide information and referrals, but Ms. Pollack soon realized that families
needed more. In response, Otsar started its Young Adult Program, offering recreation, socialization and cultural
activities for adults.
Under her leadership, Otsars programs have grown to include residential services, camping services, day
programs, respite, Com Hab programs and more.
Ms. Pollacks determination and vision to make the lives of so many
families better make her truly worthy of being honored as a Woman of
Distinction.
Betty Pollack was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator Simcha Felder.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Gail Reed-Barnett, Ed.D
rom an early age, Gail Reed-Barnett, Ed.D. and her siblings were instilled with the value of education
by their parents, William and Lillian, who were actively involved in their childrens education. They knew
that a good education was the only tool that would ensure their childrens place in society. Dr. Reed-Barnett
earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Medgar Evers College, a Master of Science in Counseling and
Development from Long Island University and a Doctorate of Education from Nova Southeastern University,
with a concentration in Child, Youth and Family Studies. The love and dedication was not limited to
empowering herself she was also determined to share what her parents had taught her with young people
in her community.
Dr. Reed-Barnett is currently a New York City School Counselor/College Advisor and serves as an Administrative
Adjunct for Medgar Evers College Now Program. A product of the public education system, she is aware
of the plight of our young people, the need for committed and dedicated educators and the importance of
parental involvement in helping a child achieve maximum academic success.
Dr. Reed-Barnett believes that true power lies in knowing how our educational and judicial system works
and making it work for us, not against us. This belief has been instrumental in driving her to become an
active and visible participant in the Brooklyn community. She served as Secretary and Second Vice President
to Alumni Association of Medgar Evers College, was President of the East 38th Street 2001 Block Association,
and is current President of the Nova Southeastern University Alumni Association, Brooklyn Chapter. Dr. ReedBarnett has presented information to families regarding the No Child Left Behind Act and the Common Core
Standards. She is a voice for immigrants, airing their issues and concerns, and has collaborated with the New
York City Council. She was recently elected to the position of Governor for the New York State School Counselor
Association that services School Counselors in the New York City area, due to her unwavering allegiance to the
empowerment of her community.
Dr. Gail Reed-Barnett is dedicated and committed to her mission to
empower each member of her community parents, young adults, senior
citizens, and immigrants with the knowledge needed to make wise, clear
choices and decisions. She continues to work for and with the people of
this great community to see this vision become a reality.
Dr. Gail Reed-Barnett was selected as a 2015

Woman of Distinction by Senator Kevin S. Parker.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Carol Ann Rinzler
arol Ann Rinzler is a devoted activist and civic leader. She is also the author of more than 20 health-
related books, including: Nutrition for Dummies (6th edition due in 2015-16), The New Complete Book of Food,
the award-winning Estrogen and Breast Cancer: A Warning for Women, and Leonardos Foot, which a reviewer for
the American Association for the Advancement of Science described as some of the best writing about science
for the non-scientist he had encountered in recent years.
As an activist, Ms. Rinzler uses her extensive personal e-mail list to reach physicians, legislators, administrators
and patient advocates across the country. Her mission is to gain support for medical issues such as the
amelioration of the Two Midnight Rule, which has put Medicare payments at risk for hospital patients put into
observation status.
Incivic life, Ms. Rinzler is a director of TheTurtle Bay Association and is a founder ofthenine-year-old1000+
Friends of NYC Parks, which impressively reaches people in all five boroughs of New York City through e-mail
only with no meetings, dues or officers. Ever devoted to her community, Ms. Rinzler has served as a member
of Manhattan Community Board 6, and she and her late husband, Perry Luntz, founded the Manhattan
Neighborhood Council in 1993.
Ms. Rinzlers mantraon both politics and civicscould be a page straight

from her Columbia University graduate thesis on theFrench Revolution
which, she says, taught me that if you annoy the intellectuals, 30 years
later they will come back and chop off your head.
Carol Ann Rinzler was selected as a 2015 Woman

of Distinction by Senator Liz Krueger.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Carmen G. Rivera
armen G. Rivera has been an active community organizer and activist for more than 40 years. She
currently serves as the Assistant Vice President of Community & External Affairs for VIP Community Services.
Previously on the VIP Community Services Board of Directors for 30 years, she also served as its chair.
Ms. Rivera was born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Her bilingual and bicultural background provided her with a
unique sensitivity to the plights of immigrants and those with language barriers thus beginning a career
full of volunteerism. Most notably, a local priest at St. Anthonys Reverend Father Robert Banome helped
nurture her thirst for spiritual ministry and activism.
Ms. Riveras community leadership and accomplishments have spanned decades. For 17 years, she has served
on Community Board 9, and also held a post on the executive committee for nine years. In addition, Ms. Rivera
has actively and selflessly served her community as housing chairperson, parish trustee, President of Parish
Council for Church of St. Anthony, a mentor and leader to young girls ages 7-18 years, and as a member of the
Executive Committee of Discovery for Justice Coalition, a non-profit organization that advocates for criminal
justice reform.
Professionally, Ms. Rivera was employed as the National Sales Manager at Bookazine, a book wholesaler.
She later became the National Trade Sales Manager at Lectorum/Scholastic Publishing, where she marketed
Spanish books nationwide. Ms. Rivera was a member of the American Library Association, American
Booksellers Association, and a member of Reforma, where she supported the needs of Spanish speakers
through library services. In 2009, she was honored with the first Lifetime Achievement Distinction for
providing services to the Latino community.
Ms. Riveras most important role is serving as the matriarch of her family
mother to Yolanda and Jeanette, and grandmother to Jasmine, Destiny
and Brandon. She is the great grandmother of Hailey and Dominick. Ms.
Rivera has been a proud resident of the Bronx for the last 52 years, and has
resided in the same home for 44 years. She is an avid reader who enjoys
culinary arts and travel.
Carmen G. Rivera was selected as a 2015 Woman

of Distinction by Senator Gustavo Rivera.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Jenny Rivera
enny Rivera was born in Puerto Rico, and moved to New York City in the late 1960s. She took up residence
in the Lower East Side, which exposed her to rich cultural and social diversity, as well as injustices of the City. She
and her family moved back to Puerto Rico, where she attended Jose Campeche Public School and Santa Juanita IX
Middle School, before moving back to the United States and settling in the South Bronx.
Ms. Rivera attended South Bronx High School and the Secondary Education through Health-(SETH) program at
Mt. Sinai Hospital, where she was further exposed to and decided to continue her interest in social justice. She
attended John Jay College and then was admitted to Rutgers University School of Social Work, completing her
educational career with honors.
A strong Latina leader with community roots in the Bronx, Ms. Rivera has received several major leadership and
community awards from New York and New Jersey, as well as international awards from Puerto Rico and the
Dominican Republic. She has been honored with recognitions and citations from former New York Senator Hillary
Rodham Clinton, Aldofo Carrion, former Newark Mayor Cory Booker and many others. In 2009, she received the
Distinguished Leadership Award from the National Latino Social Work Task Force.
Ms. Riveras extensive experience in non-profit programmatic/fiscal management, operations, grant writing and
consultant experiences in conjunction with more than 20 years of direct service practice in homeless services,
mental health, HIV/AIDS and domestic violence has positioned her as one who is greatly respected among her
peers and community members. She is a well-rounded bilingual and accomplished social worker/administrator.
With her strong leadership skills, administrative and financial management expertise and commitment to the Bronx
community, Ms. Rivera has mentored and currently leads an impressive group of practicing professionals in the field
of social services and education. Currently Director at Aguila, Inc., Ms. Rivera
oversees more than 10 family transitional housing sites in the Bronx. She is
a mentor to up and coming social workers and other professionals entering
the field of human services and personally believes that her legacy in the
field is to ensure and support compassionate and committed young minority
professionals.
Jenny Rivera was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Susan Salomone
usan Salome is President of Drug Crisis in Our Backyard, a grassroots community organization that
was founded with the help of her husband, Steven, after the devastating loss of their oldest son, Justin, in May
2012. After dealing with the catastrophic loss of their child, Ms. Salomone and her husband were inspired to
make it their lifes mission that no parent should have to go through the horror that they became so tragically
familiar with.
The organization is dedicated to raising awareness of the rampant use of heroin and opiates in the community,
erasing the stigma of addiction, supporting families struggling with active addiction and working with
legislators to improve treatment and make it more accessible to those who need it. It is an organization
that goes above and beyond in order to make sure that they are succeeding in their quest for awareness and
sobriety.
Ms. Salomone is committed to forming alliances with other coalitions and like-minded groups, to build a
groundswell of support for people who are suffering with addiction. Her philosophy is that by taking this
disease out of the darkness, the shame that accompanies addiction can be reduced.
Ms. Salomone was born and raised in New York. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Education, a Master of
Science in Counseling and a Master of Science in Supervision, all at esteemed New York State universities.
She is retired from the New York City school system, where she taught 3rd and 5th grades. Ms. Salomone has
trained elementary age students in peer mediation and creative conflict resolution, and is currently pursuing a
credential as a Substance Abuse Counselor.
Ms. Salomone lives in Carmel, New York, with her three sons and husband,
Steven. They will forever mourn the loss of their oldest son, Justin, but
they continue on, knowing that the work they do can help others. They are
fueled by the love and support of Justins brothers.
Susan Salomone was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator Terrence P. Murphy.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Reverend Dr.
Ernestine Sanders
everend Dr. Ernestine Sanders is a ministerial speaker and seminar leader of international renown.
She is Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of Clergy United for Community Empowerment,
Inc., a multi-service agency providing direct services in St. Albans, Queens and the Greater New York City
Area. She is the Founder of the Evangelical World-Wide Ministries, Inc. and a nationally known Christian
educator.
Dr. Sanders was the first woman clergy panel member of former Queens District Attorney John J. Santuccis
Second Chance Program. This program offered a second chance to first-time offenders through public
service as an alternative to incarceration. She has presided over quarterly breakfast meetings on raising the
self-esteem of women with the focused theme The Wonders of Womanhood, and serves on the boards of
a number of local organizations. Dr. Sanders was one of the opening speakers for the National Leadership
Conference for the Congressional Black Caucus in 2002, and in her time has received numerous honors,
awards and proclamations.
Dr. Sanders accomplishments are impressive. She is a three-term Graduate Fellow of the New York
Theological Seminary and the New York City Mission Societys Urban Fellow Program, where she served as
its coordinator for two terms. Dr. Sanders has earned many advanced degrees, including: a business degree
from Lamson College in Phoenix, Arizona; a Bachelor of Arts in Primitive and Comparative Religions from
The College of New Rochelle, M.P.S./M. in Divinity Studies at New York Theological Seminary; a Master of
Arts in Psychology and Religion Education from Commonwealth University; a Doctorate of Divinity from
Eastern American Theological Seminary Consortium; a Certificate in Journalism from Howard University; and
continuing education credits from Princeton Theological Seminary, Andover Newton Theological Seminary,
Harvard University, and Fuller Theological Seminary. She received a
doctorate from Santa Barbara University.
Dr. Sanders currently serves as Pastor of the Evangelical Christian Church in
Jamaica, New York.
Reverend Dr. Ernestine Sanders was

selected as a 2015 Woman of Distinction by
Senator Leroy G. Comrie.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Dream Shepherd
ream The Dreamster Shepherd is 10 years old and was born with sickle cell disease. The hereditary
blood disorder resulted in complications for her, including chronic pain and a stroke at five years old. Despite
facing this terrible disease, Miss Shepherd has shown tremendous heart and bravery that deserves to be
recognized.
Miss Shepherd is being honored not only for her bravery and spirit, but for her passion to help others. Even while
battling her own health issues, she is busy raising awareness and funds for sickle cell disease. In March 2014,
Miss Shepherd was named Grand Marshal of the 10th Annual Go the Distance Walk and Family Fun Day for Maria
Fareri Childrens Hospital, where she led thousands of supporters for the events signature Stroll Around Campus.
From dance-a-thons, to marketing campaigns and radio roof-a-thons, she has worked tirelessly to show others
how young people can be active and excel, even while battling chronic medical conditions.
In December, Miss Shepherd was hospitalized and placed in isolation for almost four months. She endured
vigorous and invasive procedures in preparation for a transplant, including chemotherapy and radiation. Today,
she stands a victor over sickle cell disease, and continues to cheer up children with chronic medical conditions.
Miss Shepherd is an active student, Girl Scout, artist, novice fashion designer and Hula Hoop Extraordinaire.
Though it would seem all the odds were against her at a young age, and when most of us would have given up or
given into depression, Miss Shepherd made it her priority to help others facing similar hardships, and remained
active in the community. As Miss Shepherd is only 10 years old, we all have
something to learn from her to never give up, no matter the odds against
us, to face the belly of the beast with bravery and stubbornness and to turn
our own fates into something we can be proud of.
Dream Shepherd was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator David Carlucci.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Elizabeth Sherwood
lizabeth Betsy Sherwood is a fierce and relentless advocate for children. As president of the nonprofit organization, Focus on the Children, Ms. Sherwood gives to her community every day. Her dedication
goes beyond the organizations mission to serve the needs of Livingston County children that cannot be met
by any other agency or program.
Merl Galusha, Jones Chemicals CEO, pastor for the United Presbyterian Church and Ms. Sherwoods father,
established Focus on the Children in 1993. Ms. Sherwood helped in selecting the board and writing the mission
statement and constitution, working tirelessly to grow this non-profit, which serves all of Livingston County.
In addition to day-to-day assistance for children in need, the school supplies from the back-to-school program
and the gifts provided by the Christmas program make a huge difference for hundreds of families.
Ms. Sherwood is kind and caring in her delivery of comfort to those in difficult situations. When five graduates
of Caledonia-Mumford High School were involved in a 2013 car crash that killed three, Ms. Sherwood jumped
into action. She organized memorials and met with local government about safety measures that were
initiated by Senator Patrick Gallivan and the New York State Department of Transportation after the accident to
improve the intersection.
A graduate of Allendale Columbia High School, Ms. Sherwood attended Cazenovia College and has spent her
entire adult life helping others. She was instrumental in starting the Parent Teacher Association chapter in
Caledonia-Mumford Central School District, and for several years, she and her husband, Tom, organized an
annual AAU basketball tournament at the State University of New York College at Geneseo. Ms. Sherwood has
also served as a deacon at United Presbyterian Stone Church in Caledonia.
A lifelong Caledonian, Ms. Sherwood is the daughter of Marj and the late Robert B. Jones. She and her
husband, Tom, have six grown children and numerous grandchildren. Her daughters Sarah, Erin and Regan,
continue to help with Focus on the Children.
Ms. Sherwood is tenacious in a quiet way, and is well on the path to
accomplishing great things all with much love and laughter.
Elizabeth Sherwood was selected as a 2015 Woman

of Distinction by Senator Patrick M. Gallivan.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Barbara Stuchinski
arbara Stuchinski was born in Kew Gardens and has lived in Forest Hills since 1938. She received
her masters degree in Education, and then went on to get her New York State Teaching License for grades
K-12 in Art Education. The majority of her accomplishments have been in her dedication and commitment to
volunteerism, making the lives of the people in her community better by putting theirs before her own.
Ms. Stuchinski has always stayed active in her community. In her younger years, she volunteered at New York
Foundling Hospital, and in college, as a Junior Lady of Charity, at homes for challenged children and seniors
with disabilities. Whenever time allowed, she gave her own time to help in homeless shelters, collecting
clothing for American Indian Missions, soup kitchens and outreach programs for those in need.
Ms. Stuchinski was first Vice President and President of Forest Hills Community and Civic Association, which
advocates for the community of Forest Hills. As President, she worked to save land on Metropolitan Avenue in
order to build a school campus. Ms. Stuchinski also served as President of the Remsen Park Coalition, through
which she published the booklet Colonial Patriots, to describe the contribution of the Remsen Family to the War
for Independence.
The tragedy of 9-11 pushed Ms. Stuchinski into high gear, becoming involved with community emergency
response teams. Currently, she is Deputy Chief of the Community Board 6 Team, which was involved in
collecting supplies for the workers at Ground Zero and driving carloads to the downtown area. She responded
during Hurricane Sandy, where she assisted in setting up collection points at various locations in Queens. She is
a tremendous presence to have in the community during times of disaster; when everyone needs help, you can
count on her to be there, at the front lines, offering assistance.
Ms. Stuchinski is not just involved in civic and emergency matters but also environmental. She is Chair of the
Parks and Historic Committees and Co-Chair of the Certification Committee. This involves gathering volunteers
to landscape and clean local parks, maintain involvement with historic sites and respond to requests from the
New York City Emergency Management Department.
Barbara Stuchinski has dedicated her life to the betterment of her
community. She continues to advocate for a better quality of life by
improving neighborhoods and by volunteering the majority of her time to
helping those in need.
Barbara Stuchinski was selected as a 2015 Woman

of Distinction by Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Marie Testa
arie Testa began her career as a Research Analyst for the National Broadcasting Company (NBC). Her
desire to make a difference in the world led her to a career in teaching. Mrs. Testa earned masters degrees in
Education, School Administration and Supervision, and it did not take long for her to begin making a difference
in her community through shaping the minds of our youth.
Mrs. Testa began her teaching career in the North Bellmore School District in 1994, where she quickly emerged
as a leader among her peers. She was elected to the districts Joint Professionals Practices Committee, became
a representative of the policy board of the North Bellmore Teacher Center, coordinated the implementation
of the Peaceful Playground Program and facilitated the districts leadership and mentoring Initiatives. All her
involvement in the school district has resulted in a more fun and comprehensive learning environment for the
children of her community.
As an educator, Mrs. Testa has been honored by News 12 as the Long Island Educator of the Month, was
nominated for Disneys American Teacher Award and was honored by the Ithaca College/Hofstra University
research and publication collaborative.
In July 2001, Mrs. Testa was promoted to principal of the Gunther School. As principal, she coordinated the
districts strategic planning process, which led to the development of the District Mission and Core Values the
districts guiding principles. In 2013, Mrs. Testa was appointed by the North Bellmore Board of Education as the
first female superintendent of schools.
During this unprecedented time in education, Mrs. Testa has seamlessly made the transition from principal
to superintendent. In her short tenure in her new position, she has shown
herself to be an inspirational leader who is committed to her community,
school district and to offering all children a challenging and rigorous
curriculum throughout their entire school career.
Marie Testa was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator Michael Venditto.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Rachel Thieme
achel Thieme has served as the Executive Director of the Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement
District in Sunnyside, Queens since 2012. In this role, she works with business and property owners to promote,
beautify and enhance the Sunnyside commercial district.
Under her leadership, the organization has collaborated with a variety of community partners to revitalize two
areas under the elevated 7 train and transform them into welcoming public plazas.
Ms. Thieme has brought new initiatives to the district, such as Sunnyside Restaurant Week and a revitalized
Taste of Sunnyside event, both of which aim to promote Sunnyside as a dining destination. She is passionate
about working on the neighborhood level to promote economic development, and enjoys collaborating with a
wide variety of stakeholders to further this goal.
Ms. Thieme has worked in the for-profit, non-profit and public sectors on a variety of mission-driven initiatives
aimed to improve local communities. Prior to her current position at Sunnyside Shines, she helped to
implement and manage technology projects with public transit agencies throughout North America, organized
capacity-building efforts for economic development organizations in Brooklyn and studied sustainable
community development throughout New York City. She began her career on the West Coast working to
improve food access for low income communities, initially supervising a meal program for homeless teens in
Seattle, and then managing efforts to expand San Franciscos food pantry network with the San Francisco Food
Bank.
In 2014, Ms. Thieme was honored by the Queens Courier with a Rising Star award and by Council Majority
Leader Jimmy Van Bramer during Womens History Month.
Ms, Thieme holds a graduate degree with distinction in City and Regional Planning from the Pratt
Institute and an undergraduate degree from Mills College in Oakland,
California. In 2013, she completed the Neighborhood Leadership Program
with the Coro New York Leadership Center, a professional development
program for commercial revitalization managers. She is originally from
Seattle, Washington.
Rachel Thieme was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator Michael N. Gianaris.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Linda A. Thomas
successful small business is often the backbone and the heart and soul of a small community.
Nowhere has this been more evident than in the village of Wellsburg, New York, where Linda Thomas has
owned and operated the Wellsburg Diner since 1997.
In September 2011, Tropical Storm Lee swept across New Yorks Southern Tier and its many small towns,
causing once-in-a-lifetime flooding. The storm devastated Wellsburg, and the Wellsburg Diner was completely
destroyed.
Ms. Thomas, faced with daunting financial and personal hardships, vowed to reopen her place of business,
saying, This towns been very good to me, I wanted to stay with them...The Wellsburg Diner is more than a
building. Its a family.
Local citizens and community leaders rallied around Ms. Thomas, and in early 2012, the Wellsburg Diner
reopened just a block away from its original site. It is now in a larger, more accommodating space, and has
become a center of community life a place to have a great meal, find a friendly face and share laughs. People
also gather in support of community benefits at the Diner, working together on such challenges and concerns
as A Voice for Animals and The Second Chance Ranch.
Over the past several years, the Wellsburg Diner, under Ms. Thomas steadfast guidance, has beaten the
odds and continued to expand. Ms. Thomas now provides good jobs for nearly 20 local workers in a small
community with a shattered local economy.
In 2013, Ms. Thomas and the Diner were honored by the Elmira Star-Gazette with a Best of the Twin Tiers
Award. In addition, the Wellsburg Diner has recently been selected for a prestigious Small Business
Excellence Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Ms. Thomas has spent a lifetime working in the local restaurant and
hospitality industry. At the Wellsburg Diner for nearly two decades, she
has built much more than a successful, thriving small business she has
opened the doors to community hope, pride and spirit.
Linda A. Thomas was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator Thomas F. OMara.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Aixa Torres
ixa Torres was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, to Domingo Arturo Torres and America Figueras.
Shemoved with her parents and sisters to New York City in 1955, where she attended public schools. Ms.
Torres graduated from the City University of New York and Lincoln University.
Among her many achievements, Ms. Torreswas instrumental in working with Senator Squadron and his
colleagues to push the New York City Housing Authority to fully repair old, faulty gas pipes at Smith Houses
that sometimes forced residents to go without cooking gas for weeks or months at a time. Under this
leadership and partnership, Smith Houses residents can reliably use their ovens and stoves without having to
worry about looming gas outages.
Ms. Torres leadership has also been put to the test by multiple natural disasters. Her efforts resulted in the
successful evacuation of hundreds of Smith residents ahead of Hurricane Irene, and her advocacy during
Hurricane Sandy demonstrated that an organized community can overcome the worst of disasters.
After decades of community work, serving on advisory councils and public school parent associations, and
advocating for children and families,Ms. Torresretired in 2014 from the Department of Education as the Lower
East Sides Family Advocate. In August 2004, she, along with Principal Santiago Tavares, instituted a Citywide
High School Summer Graduation. Ms. Torres also began serving as President of the Alfred E. Smith Resident
Association, on Manhattans Lower East Side, in 2010.
Ms. Torresmarried the late George Carmona, Jr. in 1971, and had two
children, George III and Liza Noemi. For more than 50 years,shehas
resided on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, where she lives with her
daughter and grandchildren, Mia and Elijah.
Aixa Torres was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator Daniel Squadron.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Marta Moreno Vega
s founder of the Frank H. Williams Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute and a
professor, author and filmmaker, Marta Moreno Vega has been a driving force for three decades. She has been
committed to bring the issues of identity, culture and matters of the spirit into the public consciousness.
Ms. Vega was born in 1942 in New York City and grew up in East Harlem, a predominantly Latino and Caribbean
section of the City known as Spanish Harlem. Both her parents were from Puerto Rico, and her fathers dark skin
reflected his African heritage. Ms. Vega was teased for her skin color as she grew up, yet as she grew older, she
came to embrace her African lineage.
As she grew, Ms. Vega worked to preserve and nurture the artistic expression of her childhood. She earned a
bachelors and a masters degree in Education from New York University, and founded the Visual Arts Research and
Resource Center Relating to the Caribbean, which later became known as the Frank H. Williams Caribbean Cultural
Center African Diaspora Institute. She also helped found the Association of Hispanic Arts, an important New Yorkbased arts advocacy and public education organization.
Along the way, Ms. Vega experienced something of a spiritual awakening, and she traveled to Havana, Cuba,
to be formally initiated into the Santeria religion. She learned to live in balance with the forces of nature that
surrounded her, and through the years, she continued to try and understand her culture and spirituality through
her work and projects.
In 2000, Ms. Vega Co-Founded the Global Afro-Latino and Caribbean Initiative, a collaborative project of Hunter
Colleges Latin American and Caribbean Studies Department and the Caribbean Cultural Center. The year 2000 also
marked the publication of her first book, The Altar of My Soul: The Living Traditions of Santeria, which traces the
roots, practices and themes of the Santeria religion, as well as Ms. Vegas own experiences.
In 2004, Ms. Vega published another book, When the Spirits Dance Mambo: Growing Up Nuyorican. It is Ms. Vegas
personal memoir, covering the range of issues that have shaped her professional as well as her personal lives
her Afro-Caribbean-American identity, the influence of African culture in Hispanic America and the spirituality
of Santeria linking them all together into a vibrant portrait of her own
experience as a woman of color growing up in Spanish Harlem.
Through her writing, public speaking engagements and other projects, Ms.
Vega has helped spread an understanding of her unique experience to an
ever-growing audience.
Marta Moreno Vega was selected as a 2015

Woman of Distinction by Senator Bill Perkins.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Joanne Donaruma Wade
oanne Donaruma Wade has been a leader in the field of Human Services for over 35 years. She received a
bachelors degree from Utica College in 1976, cum laude, and began her professional career at The Arc in 1977,
recently retiring from The Arc, Oneida-Lewis Chapter. Ms. Wade leaves a legacy of innovative communitybased programs and services in Utica and the surrounding areas.
As Director of the Employment Service Division,Ms. Wade was instrumental in creating integrated
employment opportunities and post secondary options for all individuals with disabilities, particularly young
adults. Under her leadership,an innovativecollege program for individuals unable to participate in traditional
college programs, known as CollegeWorks, was created. CollegeWorks allows all people the opportunity
to have a college-level learning experience and an independent living experience. Ms. Wade has received
numerous awards throughout her career for her contribution to the field of vocational rehabilitation, most
recently, the 2014 New York State Council for Exceptional Children, Excellence in Leadership Award.
Ms. Wade also has a passion for fostering self esteem in young women. For many years, she has volunteered
her own time and talents, working with the Good Old Summertime Festival Board of Directors and the Miss
Greater Utica Pageant, tomake apositive impact on teens.
Since her retirement, Ms. Wade remains committed to her community. She dedicated her time and talents to
such organizations as the Kelberman Center, the Leatherstocking Ballet Board, the Heart Associations Go Red
For Women for 2015-16, the MVCC Foundation, the Charles Sitrin Health Centers Foundation Board, Mohawk
Valley Health Services, VNA Homecare, Utica Rotary and Upstate Cerebral Palsy
Ms. Wade is married to successful Utica businessman, John Wade, and
resides in New Hartford. She has two children, Michael and Alexa, and her
dedication to the youth of her community has given them a positive role
model to look up to and to strive to be.
Joanne Donaruma Wade was selected as a 2015

Woman of Distinction by Senator Joseph A. Griffo.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Kerry W. Walsh
erry W. Walsh serves as President of the Board of Directors of Gramatan Village, an aging in place
organization serving the needs of older adults who wish to remain in their communities. Gramatan Village
offers the necessary services and programs to make this dream a reality.
Prior to her retirement in 2013, Ms. Walsh was Executive Director of the Port Chester Carver Center, serving
as both a board and staff member for 15 years. Under her guidance and expertise, Ms. Walsh revitalized and
expanded their programs to reach the underserved residents in Port Chester. As Executive Director, she initiated
planned gifts programs, developed fundraising strategies and designed unique special events. She played a
key role in the recruitment, stewardship and solicitation of board members.
Prior to joining the Carver Center, Ms. Walsh was President and Chief Executive Officer of DKMS Americas, the
worlds largest private bone marrow center. There, she was responsible for building awareness throughout the
United States of the need to register as a marrow donor. During her tenure, DKMS recruited over 50,000 new
bone marrow donors through social media and donor recruitment drives.
From 1995 to 2000, Ms. Walsh served as Vice President of External Affairs at New York United Hospital in Port
Chester, where she managed the Development, Volunteer and Community Relations departments. Under her
direction, the United Hospital project team produced the Buick Classic Golf Tournament, which generated over
one million dollars.
Ms. Walshs professional career began at The Rockefeller University in fund development and public relations,
where she played a strategic role in the recruitment, stewardship and solicitation of board members.
An unwavering and steadfast volunteer, Ms. Walsh served as Board President of Women in Development, a New
York City fundraising organization, and as a Board member of Heartsong
Inc., a Westchester-based music and art program serving challenged
children. She was Treasurer of the Council of Community Services in Port
Chester and served on the planning committee for Family University.
Kerry W. Walsh was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator George Latimer.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Ella J. Weiss
lla J. Weiss has been involved in education, the arts and community affairs for her entire adult life.
Her professional and volunteer achievements share a common thread a singular and unrelenting devotion to
the betterment and enrichment of Brooklyn as a whole.
As President of Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC), Ms. Weiss has expanded programs and brought stability and
leadership. She has greatly enhanced BACs partnerships with borough, city and state agencies, and has helped
develop innovative new professional services for individual artists and art organizations in Brooklyn. Under her
leadership, BAC has become a prominent force on the cultural scene.
Ms. Weiss enjoyed a long and illustrious professional career at Brooklyn College. Prior to her appointment in
1995 as Assistant Vice President for College Relations, she was the Executive Director of the Office of Alumni
Affairs and the Director of Community Relations and Audience Development for Brooklyn Center for the
Performing Arts at Brooklyn College (BCBC). Ms. Weiss secured New York City Council Capital appropriations for
Brooklyn Colleges 24-hour Library Caf and renovation of the Gershwin and Whitman Theaters. Ms. Weiss is
particularly proud of her role in strengtheningBCBC into todays thriving cultural center, which reaches out and
attracts all of the boroughs diverse communities.
Ms. Weiss holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees from Brooklyn College, and has been recognized by
many organizations, receiving Consolidated Edisons Brooklyn Women of Essence Award, honored as Flatbush
Development Corporations Silver Anniversary Honoree, the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and
Industrys Salute to Women Honoree, and the YWCAs Brooklyn Women of Distinction Honoree. She received
the Brooklyn College Alumni Association Distinguished Achievement Award, and in 2006, received the
Presidents Medal from Brooklyn College.
Ella Weiss will forever be an important member of her community, and
must be honored accordingly. She has made it her duty to enrich and
nurture Brooklyns culture through education, the arts and volunteer work,
and teaching youth to do the same.
Ella J. Weiss was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Distinction by Senator Velmanette Montgomery.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Joyce Willetts, Ph.D.
oyce Willetts, Ph.D., was born and raised in England. After receiving her Bachelor of Science in Applied
Biology from the University of Hertfordshire, Dr. Willetts immigrated to the United States. Over the next 10
years, she continued to pursue her education, culminating in a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology. After
working as a senior research scientist and an associate director of regulatory affairs for several different
pharmaceutical companies, in 1996, Dr. Willetts formed her own company, Palanquin Corporation in Florida,
New York. Palanquin Corporation provides pharmaceutical consulting and medical writing services.
Dr. Willetts is a loving mother to her son, John, and devotes her time, expertise and passion to the Florida Union
Free School District. Dr. Willetts helped to bring the PTA-sponsored Science Fair to a new level, and under her
guidance, student participation grew from 10% to over 40%, inspiring students to experiment and explore
science. While serving on the districts Wellness Committee, Dr. Willetts was instrumental in obtaining a grant
to purchase a cafeteria salad bar and construct an on-site outdoor multipurpose trail. This trail is used not only
as a classroom, but also as an approved course for the cross-country teams.
Dr. Willetts commitment to her community extends well beyond the reach of her involvement with the schools,
also touching the lives of all town members. Working with the Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Willetts began
editing and publishing a local newspaper - The Florida Focus. Through her hard work and diligence, it became a
vital way for important community and school district information to be shared with residents.
A charter member of the Seward Homestead Restoration Committee, Dr.
Willetts preservation of the Mapes House was a priority. She helped secure
a $400,000 grant from the New York State Historical Preservation Office to
help with the cost of restoration.
Joyce Willetts, Ph.D. was selected as a 2015 Woman

of Distinction by Senator John J. Bonacic.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Lee Anne Xippolitos, Ph.D.
ee Anne Xippolitos, Ph.D. is the Dean of the School of Nursing at Stony Brook University (SBU). A
graduate of the program, Dr. Xippolitos completed her Ph.D. at Adelphi University and is certified as a Clinical
Nurse Specialist, Nurse Practitioner in psychiatric-mental health nursing and Nurse Administrator.
Dr. Xippolitos leads the establishment and implementation of academic, research and clinical practice programs
in Nursing at SBU. She is responsible for implementing policies, overseeing strategic initiatives and addressing
the needs of students, faculty and staff. Her efforts have led to the addition of programs in organizational
leadership, education and global health which enables student to complete clinical rotations in Tanzania,
Republic of Korea and Ecuador. She is also a member of the Senior Executive team at the SBU Health Science
Center.
Prior to being named Dean, Dr. Xippolitos served as Chief Nursing Officer at SBU for 12 years. During that time,
she played a key role in reducing the nursing vacancy rate, developing the Electronic Medical Record system
and the Nurse Residency Program, and opening the SANE Center for victims of sexual assault.
As a leader in the field of nursing, she is a member of multiple nursing organizations and is a charter member
and past president of Kappa Gamma Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau International. Currently, she serves on the
University Health System Consortiums National Advisory Board for Nurse Residency Programs and is a member
of the Victims Information Bureau of Suffolk (VIBS) Resource Council. She is also the recipient of the 2013
Community Service Award from the Victims Information Bureau of Suffolk (VIBS).
Dr. Xippolitos is the proud mother of Kristin, Peter, Kristofer and Kelly.
She is also the proud grandmother of Emma, Kate, Sarah, Courtney and
Matthew.
Lee Anne Xippolitos, Ph.D. was selected as a 2015

Woman of Distinction by Senator John J. Flanagan.
Women of
DISTINCTION
Marjorie V. Zmijewski
arjorie Zmijewski is a native of the North Country and has lived most of her life in Keeseville. She is
the daughter of the late Emilio and Virginia Garcia, and has followed in her fathers footsteps as an active, well
respected civic and government leader in the North Country.
Throughout her life, Ms. Zmijewski has served as AuSable Valley School Tax Collector, and Town of AuSable Tax
Collector where she held the position of Vice President, representing the North Country. When her father
passed in 2000, she ran for and won his seat on the Town Board, and held that position until she retired in 2008.
Upon her retirement, Ms. Zmijewskis son, Scot, ran for the seat and is currently holding that position. Ms.
Zmijewski also served as the Town of AuSable Republican Chairman for more than 25 years.
Ms. Zmijewski was very instrumental in the planning and development of the Town of AuSable/Town of
Chesterfield Keeseville Fire District. She was appointed to the Board of Fire Commissioners and was the first
Chairperson to hold the job until it became an elected position. At that point, she resigned in order to keep her
position within the Town of AuSable.
Ms. Zmijewski helped get funding for the Keeseville Neighborhood Watch Program and developed and
coordinated community events for both the elderly and youth throughout the years. She is currently working
for Adirondack Community Action Programs in Elizabethtown, where, as the Child Care Resource & Referral/
After School Program Director, she has spent the last 26 years fighting to improve the quality of life for Essex
County children.
Ms. Zmijewski was instrumental in bringing after school programming to area schools, and currently oversees
programs in three schools. She continues to advocate and promote the importance of quality childcare, and
has built strong relationships within the childcare community.
She has been married to Michal Zmijewski for over 50 years. They have two
children, Scot and Tonia, and five grandchildren. One of her greatest joys is
the time she spends with her family and friends.
Marjorie V. Zmijewski was selected as a 2015 Woman

of Distinction by Senator Elizabeth OC Little.
Previous Honorees
1998
Belinda Alvarez-Groneman
Natsue Kobayashi
Mary Anderson
Joy Levy
Lois Andrascik
Barbara A. Manwaring
Chris Bailey Nancy Mariano
Susan Barbash
Margaret McCaughey
Geri Barish Carmen Montanez
Joan Barkley
Dianne Sackett Nannery
Sister Mairead Barrett
Sr. George Aquin OConnor
Jeanine Bondi-Steinman
Lorraine Pace
Susan K. Brustmann
Mary Jane Pauling
Marie Burghard
Mary Anne Pietrzykowski
Joan Cashon
Jeanie D. Roberts
Carol Cassell
Marie A. Russo
Sister Dolores Castellano
Theresa Santmann
Charlotte Conable
Christine Conniff Sheahan
Carol L. Constantino
Jean Sherlock
Margaret Dadd
Muriel Siebert
Jane DAmico
Beverly Sills
Aline Euler Laura Spalter
Ilene Flaum Leontina Stern
Mary Jane Fox
Maria A. Thomson
Janice W. Gay
Stephanie Edith VanAuken
Eileen Gentilcore
Mary Ann Varvaro
Gloria Richardson Griffin
Janet Walsh
Jane Hamburger Frederica Warner
Elizabeth Harvey Charlotte Watson
Patricia A. Hickey
Elaine Wick
Pamela C. Johnston
Patricia Willsea
Loretta Jones
Doris Buckley Wolf
Katherine E. Keough
Previous Honorees
1999
Nan Ackerman
Dr. Linda Leest
Eileen Tally Almquist
Joan Hope MacNaughton
Jean Argetsinger
Margaret Magnus
Juanita Lorraine Bass
Takako J. Michii
Dorothy Dot Bavaro
Deborah Naybor
Sabina Rosemary Cardali
Chloe Ann R. ONeil
Mary Ann Carey
Elizabeth Osborne
Maureen Clancy
Francis McMillan Parks
Sheila Cohen
Donna deLuca Periconi
Gayle Cratty
Irene M. Prazak
Ava Dorfman
Dorothy Reister
Nancy Duff Anne Reyen
Barbara Edwardsen
Ann Marie Rossi
Josie Fernandez
Deborah Running
Geri Fessler Carolyn Rush
Jo Ann Fiorentino
Lisa Marsh Ryerson
Carolyn Fish Sandy Scaccia
Connell Frazer
Mildred Scharf-Ehrenfeld
Betty Slavicek Gastelua
Therese Schoeneck
Regina Keller Gil
Charlotte Smallwood-Cook
Jane Golub
Shari Hall Smith
Kathleen Granchelli
Frances Sodrick
Sister Audrey Harsen, O.P.
Geraldine Spinella
Eileen McKenna Hickey
Sheila Strassburg
Roni Horowitz
Alana Sweeny
Donna DiSunno lorio
Terry Troia
Joan Johsnon
Mary Kathleen Tucker
Vicki Joshpe Betty Cooper Wallerstein
Frances Mickie Kayne Lynn Westbrook
Dr. Christine G. Khanna
Patricia Hill Williams
Naima Kradjian Joanne Wisor
Nina Larrabee Carolyn Wittreich
Previous Honorees
2000
Laura Ahearn
Melissa Lahtinen-Penfield
Joie Anderson
Thelma P. Lally
Betty Angelino
Louise Levine
Lillian Barbash
Marlene Markoe-Boyd
Sarah Jane Bernhardt-Clifford
Eleanor McDonald
Judith S. Bloch
Karen Joy Miller
Patricia Brown
Marian Mullet, R. N.
Melina Carnicelli
Anne Paolucci
Tammy Carnrike
Madeline Patterson
Jacqueline Carway
Tillie Peck
Sister Marie R. Castagnaro, S.S. J.
Elizabeth Potts
Donna Chittenden
Frances Pratt
Nellie Coakley
Captain Priscilla Chris
Dr. Mary DeRose
Ramirez-Lynch
Tamara Denysenko
Gertrude Rieur
Carol Sue Detweiler
Jean Robbins
Lynda Distler
Wilma Rogalin
Noel Donohue
Lynn Rosen
Eve Fertig Sharon Saunders
Sister M. Bethany Fitzgerald
Lisa Savyon
Angela Forte
Joan Schumaker
Florence B. Fuller
Paula Sharf
Geraldine Futrell
Linnea Shaver
Ruth Finnegan Garner
Claire Shulman
Norma Gorman
Arlene Sitterly
Barbara Hadel
Mary Jane Smith
Joy Hansen Dawn Sullivan
Lucille Helfat
Alyson Sweetser
Nikki Henkin Cathryn Thomas
Sister Elizabeth Hill, C.S. J.
Amy Torrey
Anne Humphrey
The Honorable Sandra L. Townes
Ann Irvin Ellen Tuohey
Lisa Israel Kathy Urschel
Arlene Johnston Joanne VanZandt
Barbara Kearns Georgia Verdier
Clara B. Kellner Reba White Williams
Helen Kelly
Delores Cooper Kershaw
Previous Honorees
2001
Crystal A. Abers
Dottie MacVean
A. Trudy Adell
Lucinda Sloan Mallen
Heather Ross Benedict
Susan Marino, RN
Phyllis Besch
Sister Theresa Martel
Dr. Helen Illick Breed
Rev. Colette Matthews
Margaret Mugsie Burch
Claire McIntee
Buhrmaster (Coolman)
Carol Naylor
Margaret Buzzell
Angie Miller
Elizabeth Betty Cochrane
Gertrude Hess Parker
Lucy F. Codella
Ann Petrus
Dr. Vivian Cody
Frances Pizzola
Barbara Cohen
Wendy Powers
Wendy Csoka
Annie Rabbitt
Victoria DeVantier
Chandler M. Ralph
Patricia C. Donnelly
Victoria Rosenberg
Pat Finnerty
Helene Donlan Sacco
Amy Fischetti
Irene Scheid
Miriam M. E. Garcia
Roberta C. Schofield
Sister Rose Vincent Gleason
Carol Silva
Dr. Lois Goldsmith
Bobbi Smith
Betsy Harrison
Cathy Stewart
Susan Helsinger
Vivian Street
Pat Hieronymus Dolores Thompson
Doris Hunter
Dr. Mary Ridgway Tinker
Deborah S. Johnson
Belina Venuti
Jacqueline Keller
Dr. Nora Volkow
Abby Kenigsberg Nancy Wackstein
Renee Krieger
Ethel L. Walker
Carole LaPlante Shirley Waters
Margaret A. Leahy
Jill Way
Patricia Lindi Linekin
Harriet Weber
Catherine Linfoot
Sister Martha Winum, D.W.
Hon. Gaetan B. Lozito
Previous Honorees
2002
Kathleen Barton
Debbie Basile
Nancy Bernheim, Esq.
Marilyn Bitterman
Patricia Bodnar
Andrea Clark Brown
Prudence Carabine
Margaret Carroll
Fredrika Conway
Judy Dagostino
Margaret Requa DeFrancisco
Rita DiMartino
Kathryn R. Doolittle
Anne DuPrey
Laura Elliot-Engel
Peg Ellsworth
Madeleine Fitzgibbon
Marguerite Flood
Maude Frank
Michelle Fratti
Dr. Anne DuVal Frost
Mimi Galgano
Roberta Giordano
Carol Gresser
Rosemary Gunning
Mary Pat Hancock
Dr. Debra Handel
Dr. Ruby Elinor Hare
Violet Haufsk
Dr. Evelyn Blose Holman
Donna A. Holt
Mary Ellen Jones
Patricia Knapp
Angela Koenig
Lorraine Krup
Mary Anne Krupsak
Ursula LaMotte
Gloria Lettow
Carol Mahoney
Nancy Manfredonia
Marlene Marciniak
Doreen Marks
Ligia Mendoza
Mary Holt Moore
Nancy Naples
Rosemary Nesbitt
Theresa Pagano
Eve Pawelski
Judith Peckham
Dr. Jana Pulkrabek
Dr. Greta Rainsford
Jean Raymond
Zakia Robana
Jill Rooney
Dr. Stella Pandell Russell
Janice L. Schaefer
Joanne Shenandoah
Susan Sherwood
Rachel Spivey
Dr. Susan Swain
Barbara Wilcox Thuesen
Linda Laursen Toscano
Fanny Villarreal de Canavan
Sister Vincent Marie Wilson
Elizabeth L. Young
Previous Honorees
2003
Beverly Anania
Harlene Holzschuh
Sheila Appel
Paula S. Howk
Dr. Asma Barlas
Dolores Marie Hutton
Amalia V. Betanzo
Cindy Intschert
Cynthia Bianco
Carolyn James
Maggie Brooks
Stephanie Joyce Kahn
Francine Brown
Jean Kelly
Janet Madonia Calano
Susan Lacerte
Minerva Chinea
Gay Lenhard
Francine Cieri
Elizabeth Letterese
Karen Coleman
The Hon. Carol MacKenzie
Delaine Cook-Greene
Nancy Marr
Joan Correale
Milagros Martinez
Carol Crews
Virginia E. Maurer
Melissa A. Croke
Barbara B. Melvin
Elizabeth Currier
Lynn Millane
Lucille Cuttler
Rose V. Moroney
Eva de La O
Sister Margaret Peggy Murphy
Dr. Donna Denier
May Newburger
Lee Gridley Dibble
Sister Kathleen Osbelt
Maxine Dowler
Janet Ottman
The Hon. Sandra J. Feuerstein
Raquel Pachas
The Hon. Patricia M. Filiberto
Edith Palmer
Annette S. Foley
Vivian Papson
Jane Fox Elizabeth Sanchez
Sister Monica Galligan
Gladys Serrano
Georgiana Gehret
Leslie Stolzenfels
Barbara L. Germain
Marianne Teta
Ann Marie Gianni
Cynthia Theiss
Bertha Governale Terri Thomson
Priscilla Halagao
Sister Marguerite Torre
Grace Hausmann Colleen Tyll
Nancy Henry Vivian Warren
Fran Weisberg
Previous Honorees
2004
Margaret Pataki
Maud Haggstrom Kramer
Nancy L. E. Andrews
Deborah Kueber
Sarah Anker Judith Lang
Joan Bachert
Ronnie W. Lawrence
Kathy Ballesteros
Marion Leonardo
Margaret C. Bandy
Mary E. Luckern
Frances Barbieri
Jacquelyn Maher-Brucia
Lisa Barile
Sister Regina McAuley
Marcella Beigel
Joanne Meyer-Jendras
Rochelle Berger
Joyce E. Mulleedy
Judi Bosworth
Susan Murray-Tetz
Mildred Browne
Marlene Norfolk
Sheila Burrell
RoseMarie Panio
Jaqueline P. Cady
Barbara Picard
Brigitte Castellano
The Hon. Maxine Postal
Sister Anne P. Clancy
Barbara Ernst Prey
Mary Ellen Clausen
Dawn Rafalski-VanName
Elizabeth Colon
Patti Call Riner
Desiree M. Croteau
Marcia Rocco
Edith Davey
Althea O. Roll
Dr. Tammie Lee Demler
The Hon. Lea Ruskin
Nora Detweiler
Gladys Santiago
June Douglas
Anita Saunders
The Hon. Karen A. Drago
Nancy Schwartz
Marcia Dugan
Eleanor Scott
Sherry Eaton
Carolyn Gifford Seymour
Barbara Ellenberger
Aileen Ortlip Shea
Denise Frangipane
Carolyn Short
Pearl Pi Gentile
Louise K. Sira
Roberta A. Gerold
Beth Strong
Gladys Goesch Ann Toglia
Yvonne Goodhill
Barbara N. Webber
Katherine Heaviside Gwendolyn Webber-McLeod
Previous Honorees
2005
Senator Patricia K. McGee
Henrietta Magner
Catherine T. Andrews
Donna Matteson
Mary Angerame
Dorothy M. McCloskey
Jolene Bender
Virginia M. Greene Meehan
Dr. Helen Blanchard
Helen Meittinis
Sister Elaine Bohrer
Mary Beth Murphy
Diane Brown
Maxine Neal
Angie M. Carpenter
Arlene ODell
Eleanor Charwat
Dr. Karen A. Oates
Judith J. Chin
Diana W. Petrosky
Marilyn Ciancio
Melissa Quimby
R. Carol Coltrain
Jennifer Rimmer
Alice T. Cone Helen Woodward Rivas
Phyllis Connelly
Francine Roland-King
Mary L. Cotter
Rosemary E. Rose
Elizabeth W. Cree
Susan Gordon Ryan
Angie M. Cullen
Ruth Sayer
Debrah A. DeLuke
Mary Schilb
Carol L. Dunn
Dr. Ruth H. Scott
Elizabeth Beth Fipps
Constance Wilmsen Stafford
Roseann Gentile
Patricia Standish
Sandra Gerry Nada Tannen
Roberta A. Goldenberg
Marie N. Taver
Jo Greene Deborah Tascone
Rosalyn Haber Sharen Trembath
Sara Jean Hammel
Peggy Vergis
Susan R. Holliday
Donna M. Vitagliano
Edith Hunter Gail Volk
Roberta Keller
Frances M. Walton
Kate Kelly Mary Ellen Whitney
Ruth Kempisty
Karen B. Wolfson
Marianne Laine
Previous Honorees
2006
Kathleen M. Balus
Ann Muro
Stacey Branchini
Marlene R. Papa
Gertrude A. Butera
Dr. Regina S. Peruggi
Rita Cleary
Joyce Peisker Ratushny
Shirley Connolly
Mary Holmes Reid
Andria De Lisle-Heath
Cheryl Rogowski
Benita Be Denemark
Susan C. Rounds
Leah S. Dunaief
Sister Ann Sakac
Patricia Duo Jill Salerno
Denise Ford Michele Sedor
Joanna S. Fowler, Ph.D.
Deborah F. Stanley
Janice Grieshaber
Carolyn Stiffler
Lisa M. Heath
Barbara J. Stuchinski
Audrey Jacullo
Lana J. Taylor
Carolina Minetto Lazzari
Linda G. Toohey
Judith Limpert Beverly Towers
Maureen Lodes Joan Vogt
Amy J. Maniscalco
Dorothy A. Wentland
Molly McMaster
Gale E. Wolfe
Alyse Middendorf
Previous Honorees
2007
Renee J. Abdou-Malta
Shirley Abigail Adams
Neme Alperstein
Patricia Anthony
Stephanie Bail
Barbara Bedell
Corinne Brown
Eleanor Brown
Linda L. Cellini
Mary Chapin
Maureen W. Chisholm
Katherine M. Clark
Mary Lou Cummins
Ruth Del Col
Corinne DiSomma
Sr. Diana Dolce, S.S.J.
Nancy Donohue
Nancy Duffy
Irene Farley Betti Ford
Judge Polly A. Hoye
Paula Huntsman
Rebecca P. Isseroff
Dr. Charlene Jaffie
Elise Johnson-Schmidt
Margaret Kiesel
Jessie Marvin Lazeroff
Linda Manfredi
Mary McDonald Mascott
Donna M. McGregor
Karen Dawn McGuire, Esq.
Florence Meiselbach
Colonel Tracey E. Nicholson
Angeline N. Joy Nielsen
Edna Northrup
Mary Beth Palo
Christine Pendergast
Debbie Preston
Patrice Prusmack
Jane Shaffer
Nancy Timm-Bowen
Suzanne Tingley
Gladys Walker
Previous Honorees
2008
Ladan Alomar
Mary Lou Arangio
Jamie E. Bogenshutz
Maureen Borzacchiello
Donna Boyle
Patricia Burkhart
Pamela Carroad
Pauline Chu
Lucinda Collier
Delores S. Cross
Helen Crosson
Cheryl Dinolfo
Jeanne Donalty
Audrey Edelman
Marie E. Ficano, Ed.D.
Margaret Finnerty
Linda M. Janczak
Dorothy Penny Jennings
Dr. Debra Karnasiewicz
Catherine Kelly
Dorine Kenney
Marion Blumenthal Lazan
Donna Long Susan Lucci
Maureen Torrey Marshall
Sandra Hays Mies
Lillian Vitanza Ney, M.D.
Aida Y. Nicolaou
Mary Ellen Odell
Dr. Celine R. Paquette
Kathleen M. Reilly
Sandra Rich
Nancy Robbins
Kathleen Roche
Brenda Siegal
Judy Driscoll Skillen
Marcia White
Kristina M. Young
Previous Honorees
2009
Inge Auerbacher
Susan Barry Roden
Maclain Berhaupt
Elenora P. Bernard
Betty Braton
Connie Bruno
Cindy Campbell Lucy Cecere
Janice L. Charles
Annie Chwiecko
The Hon. Una S.T. Clarke
Joanne Conrad
Betty Cooper Wallerstein Gloria DAmico
Julie Dent Joanne Dicob
Annette Esposito Elizabeth Flynn
Sister Marcella Marie Garus
Jackie Hinckley
Kathleen M. Jimino
Ann Jones
Eileen Kavanagh
Sister Dorothy Ann Kelly
Victoria Langling
Eileen La Ruffa
Flora B. Leamer
Jill Levine
Joanne M. Mahoney
Janet Malone
Maria Markovics
Charlotte Miles
Valerie Muratori
Rosalie Norton
Laurel Parker West
Roseann Pignatelli Carotenuto
Barbara A. Poldino
Mary Rodgers Guettel
Elder Vanessa Scott
Joyce E. Skinner
Lois Taplin Bronz
Jacquiline Touba, Ph.D.
Carmen R. Velasquez
Catherine Videtto
Debbie Virga
Thomasina White
Previous Honorees
2010
Muriel Allerton Diane Arneth
JoAnn T. Atlas Mary Walsh Boatfield
The Hon. Jacqueline Grace Boyce
Dolores Patterson Caldwell
Edie Carbone Linda Chiarenza
Mary Carroll Clavin
Susan M. Cohen
Ilene Corina Joy Cousminer
Rachel Lee Davis
Andrea L. DeMeo
Katherine M. Doherty
Dr. Janice Emanuel-Bunn
Alice J. Fiacco
Rena Finkelstein
Eileen Frey Lisa A. Frisch
Ada Grabowski, Ph.D.
Corinna Grant
Dedra Grant-Wade Aurelia Greene
Tricia Haggerty Wenz
Cheryl Anne Hall
Helen Ann Henkel
Catherine McVay Hughes
Dafny Joy Irizarry
Paloma Izquierdo-Hernandez
Mimi Pierre Johnson
Carrie Kahn
Lynn Kennison Peggy Liuzzi
Anna Maria Lusins-McLachlan
Kathy Marchione
Mary-Howell Martens
Kathleen (Katie) Kilcommons McGowan
Ann Chambers Meagher
Stephanie A. Miner
Margaret B. Mardy Moore
Aissatou Ndao
Peg Overdorf
Jodie A. Perry
Jean Phelps, Ph.D.
Magaly Polo
Terri Pouymari Carol Quirk
Chandler M. Ralph
Dr. Julie Ratner
Lillian Rodriguez-Lopez Olga Rovt
Carol Ruane Dr. Eileen Santiago
Victoria Schneps-Yunis Mary Silver
Carol G. Simon
Dee G. Vandenburg
Helen R. Worth
Previous Honorees
2011
Lori Bahnik Helen Baran
Nicole Behrens Carol Berry
Susan Boudreau
Wanda Jean Burris
Christa Caldwell Virginia Clark
Debbie Cuevas Bonnie Daggett
Elaine Delaney
Gloria M. Dixon
Ann E. Ellsworth
Lindsay Farrell
Dr. Susan Fox
Mathylde Frontus
Virginia Gallagher
Diane C. Ganz
Mary Herlihy Gearan
Deirdre Glenn
Karen Gordon Elizabeth Gulotta
Phyllis E. Gunther
Mary E. Holtz
Grace Johnson
Debra Markell Kleinert
Dr. Anne M. Kress
Frances-Ann Lightsy
Fredericka G. Mabon
Dr. Martha MacGuffie
Barbara Medina Elizabeth Miller
Janet Miller Kate Miller
Elissa Montanti Mary Morse
Jeanne Mullgrav Kelly Myers
Mary Nelson Judy Pepenella
Christine PSimer JoAnn Pushkin
Karen Y. Richmond Beverly Roberts
Rossana Rosado
Indi L. Shelby
Vicki Simons Mary Spink
Gretchen Hurley Sprock
Leslyn Stewart
Maria A. Thomson Millie Tomidy-Pepper
Karen Washington Judi Whittaker
Kathleen Wojtaszek-Gariano
Previous Honorees
2012
LaVonne E. Ansari
Angela Augugliaro
Erin Bentivegna
Debra Brawley
Randi Bregman
Serena Brothers-Mohamed
Jane Brown
Patricia T. Cataldi
Dr. Mary Lane Cobb
Marie Colvin
The Honorable Ann C. Crowell
Norma Cummings
Ida DAngelo
Deirdre DeAngelis-DAlessio
Mary Elizabeth Delli-Pizzi
Toni DeMeo
Colleen C. DiPirro
Elizabeth A. Einstein
Hilda Rosario Escher
Sonia Valentin Fernandez
Ivine Galarza
Marie Goldstein
Ardeane Greene-Cook
Bernell K. Grier
Colleen Hassett-Mastine
Kathleen Henderson
Virginia Ginny Houseknecht
Carol Houwaart-Diez
Sister Yliana Hernandez
Reverend Debra Jameson
Roselyn A. Johnson
Catherine Kingsley
Deborah Slaner Larkin
Sheila Lewandowski
Mary D. Lindsay
Gaye Mallet
The Honorable Patricia D. Marks
Susan K. McGiver
Zenaida Mendez
Carol Meschkow
Chandra S. Morgan
Major Jude B. Mulvey
Loraine ODonnell
Siobhan ONeill
Dilletta Pina
Jeanne S. Poindexter
Jean-Marie Posner
Jan Rebeor
Joanne Rosenberger
Ginny Salerno
Lisa Williams Schary
Reina Schiffrin
Lorraine Sciulli
Sue Susman
Victoria Thomas-Ramos
Alice Pat Thorpe
Katharine Tomasi
Marolyn Piersma Wilson
Denise Wright-Scott
Previous Honorees
2013
Karen Acompora
Hazra Joanne Ali
Wanda Beck Antosh
Kwayera Archer-Cunningham
Judy Baron
Donna L. Benson
Kate Bialo
Lea Bishop
Sister Debbie Blow
Dr. Kari W. Bovenzi
Erica Boynton
Beth A. Broadway
Rosalie M. Burgher
Evelyn Cardona
Palmira M. Cataliotti
Mary Chisholm
Honorable Bernadette T. Clark
Josephine Collins
Mildred Collins
Renate DeAngelis
Randi Shubin Dresner
Leah Dunaief
Dr. Saadia Josefina Fersobe
Meredith Festa
Jacqueline Gordon
Sara Horowitz
Julissa Juarbe
Ellie Kastel
Nancy Kronen
Ginger Lindner
Jennifer Mackie
Shannon Mancuso-Getzel
Karen OHara
Theresa Pirraglia
Francie Potter
Mary Alice Price
Vienna Profeta
Ingrid M. Richards
Rhonda Lyn Roethel
Taryn Sacramone
Jackie Schmid
Mary Jane Smith
Denise C. Soares
Sofie Somoroff
Beverly Stamp
Susan Steinberg
Elaine E. Stillwell
Emmlynn L. Taylor
Mary Jo Thorn
Grace Tillinghast
Karen Torrone
Tiphaine Tsang
Marcia B. Tuohey
Marie Valachovic
Isabel E. Villar
Dr. Elaine M. Walsh
Nozomi Hirayama Williams
Leslie Zemsky
Previous Honorees
2014
Gail Adamoschek
Seema Agnani
Patricia Aitken
Jessica Allen
Gloria Alston
Sister Marie Antoinette
Jane Backus
Mary Alice Bellardini
Marissa Bernowitz
Deanna Alterio Brennen
Susan K. Brown, PhD
Danielle Butin
Dorothy Button
Anna Cali
Fortuna Calvo-Roth
Bettye Canestaro
Andrea Curran
Lakia T. Echols
Georgina Falu, PhD
Kristine Giotto
Constance Glasgow, MD
Carin Guarasci
Adjoa Esinam Gzifa
Alyce Ingram
Indu Jaiswal
Diane Kuppermann
Sung Eun Grace Lee (posthumously)
Helene S. Leonardi
Cindy Abbott Letro
Debra Liegl
Michelle McClymont
Sheila Meegan
Julie Menin
Hazel Miura
Judith ORourke
Elizabeth R. OuYang
Filomena Piscitelli
The Honorable A. Gail Prudenti
Josephine Pucci
Marisa Redanty
Theresa M. Reichel
Lee Roberts
Beatrice Ruberto
Meghan Izzo Russo
Mary Anne Sears
Shirley Seney
Esmeralda Simmons
Pat Singer
Margaret Skinner
Luader Smith
Lauren R. Snyder
Geri Spino
Barbara Sush
Alana Sweeny
Irma Waldo, MD
Rose Marie Walker
Mary Whittier
Patricia Williams
Judy Zangwill

2015 Women of Distinction Contemporary Book

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2015 Women of Distinction Contemporary Book

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Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins

Senator Dean G. Skelos

Senator Jeffrey D. Klein

Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins

Senator Dean G. Skelos

Senator Jeffrey D. Klein

Musical Performance by:

The New York State Senate

Marisol Alcantara was selected as a 2015 Woman

Catherine A. Allain, Ph.D. Edu. was selected as a 2015

Jane Aoyama-Martin was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Mary Ann Ashley

Mary Ann Ashley was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Sue Auriemma was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Gail Lynch Bailey

Gail Lynch Bailey was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Janice Barto was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Wendy Bleier-Mervis was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Jacqueline Campbell was selected as a 2015 Woman

Master Sergeant Sue Clark was selected as a 2015

Deborah Coates was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Christine Colligan was selected as a 2015

Kim Condon was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Marsha K. Connor was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Amy Cram was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Carrie Davis was selected as a 2015 Woman of Distinction

Shihan Jacqueline Drayton was selected as a 2015

Lou Jean Fleron

Lou Jean Fleron was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Joan A. Furey, RN, MA

Joan A. Furey, RN, MA was selected as a 2015

Cristina Furlong was selected as a 2015 Woman of

The Honorable Victoria A. Graffeo was selected as

Kamillah M. Hanks was selected as a 2015 Woman

Shawyn Patterson Howard

Shawyn Patterson Howard was selected as a 2015

Cantor Dr. Mindy Jacobsen

Cantor Dr. Mindy Jacobsen was selected as a 2015

Joan Kaplan was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Patricia E. Kennedy was selected as a 2015 Woman

Emily Kessler was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Rosemarie Kluepfel was selected as a 2015 Woman

Sister Mary Ann

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany.

Sister Mary Ann LoGiudice, RSM was selected as a 2015

Peggy Marone was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Randi Martos was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Theresa McPhail was nominated as a 2015 Woman

Missy Miller was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Deborah Gordon Mullaney

Deborah Gordon Mullaney was selected as a 2015

Shirley A. Mullen Ph.D.

Shirley A. Mullen was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Mabel Muniz-Sarduy was selected as a 2015 Woman

JoAnne Luthmann Nolemi

JoAnne Luthmann Nolemi was selected as a 2015

Sister Mary Celeste OBryan

Sister Mary Celeste OBryan was selected as a 2015

LaQuita Outlaw, Ed.D.

LaQuita Outlaw, Ed.D., was selected as a 2015

Sharon F. Owens was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Libby Pataki was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Betty Pollack was selected as a 2015 Woman of

Gail Reed-Barnett, Ed.D