The Women’s Commission, first established in March of 1986 by Mayor Thomas G. Young, exists as an advisory body to the Mayor on women’s issues and interests. The Commission consists of 11 women representing many professions, ages, and areas of the city. Women’s commission members are appointed by the Mayor to serve for a term of two years, and meet quarterly.

Please join Mayor Miner and the Syracuse Commission for Women in honoring the 2012 Woman of the Year. The Women’s Commission will present the award to: “An unsung heroine who has made a difference in her community, who has acted as a role model for other women, and who has otherwise enhanced the lives of the citizens of the City of Syracuse.”

Nominees include: • Daryl Files • Linda Donalson (Hicks) • Lisa Chelenza • Margaret Charters • Michelle Walker • Sister Dolores Bush and Sister James Peter Riggeo • Veronica Clanton • Deborah Ann Willis

The award was last given to Grace Flusche, an active volunteer with refugee children, and a founder of the Westcott Cultural Fair. This year’s award ceremony will be held on Wednesday, March 28th at 2:00pm in the Atrium at City Hall Commons. Coffee and light refreshments will be served.

RSVP for this event to:
Lindsay Speicher
lspeicher@ci.syracuse.ny.us

Gilda has lived on the same block on the Northside of the Syracuse for her entire life. She is very active in the Northside community, and participates in TNT groups, the Danforth/Pond/Butternut Task Force, and the Butternut Community Policing Center. Gilda is proud to live in the city of Syracuse, and hopes to spend many more years living on the Northside, and working to make it a better place.

Carol Dwyer has been director of the Community Benchmarks Program at The Maxwell School of Syracuse University since 1996. Her students collect data on performance measures for local governments, nonprofits and educational institutions around Onondaga County. Currently, Dwyer serves on the board of directors of the Friends of Central Library and is a member of and Thursday Morning Roundtable and the Onondaga Citizens League (OCL). She also served on the steering committee of two other OCL projects revisiting government consolidation and the recent study: “Rethinking I-81.” Dwyer previously served on the boards of the former Onondaga Pastoral Counseling Center and RLS Career Center, Planned Parenthood of the Rochester Syracuse Region and other area organizations. Dwyer has a degree in business administration from SUNY and a Masters in Public Administration from The Maxwell School. Her post-graduate research has focused on nonprofit board development.

Living in the Valley area over 56 years, Louise and her late husband had six children and were very busy with scouting, little league, school and church activities. Now they have children so Grannie is as busy now as ever before. She enjoys it very much. Volunteering in the gift shop at the Van Duyn center is something she enjoys as well. Belonging to political and service groups in the community is very rewarding for her.

Rosalie has been a resident of the Tipp Hill neighborhood since 1970. She was a teacher in St. Patrick’s School for 17 years, and is currently the principal at All Saints Elementary School. She ran for Common Council in the 2nd district in the early 90’s. She is a member of the Tipp Hill TNT group, and is particularly interested in finding ways to increase public safety and quality of life in her neighborhood and throughout the city.

Maria Revelles was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Spain. A mother of five daughters, she is a resident of the near west side and an organizer for Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 1199. SEIU represents 1.5 million service workers, many of them health-care workers. Over the years, Maria has led some of the most successful service-union organizing campaigns across the United States and in Puerto Rico, also developing education and solidarity projects with women and unions in the Dominican Republic. Maria is the President of the board of the Spanish Action League, a member of ACTS (Alliance of Communities Transforming Syracuse), and a Board Member of the Near West Side Initiative. Recently she has been appointed to the Board of the Syracuse Housing Authority. She and her family relocated three years ago into the West side of the city of Syracuse with the desire the help rebuild the community. They acquired a house that was boarded for more than five years and with the help of different organizations and her neighbors turned it into their home. Maria advocates for and develops leaders within the community and encourages them to speak out on issues important to them, such as voting, education, health care and immigrant rights.

Cindy is what is known as a “reverse Transplant”. She moved from Florida to Syracuse. Struggling at first but has now come to call Syracuse home. Cindy co-owns Laci’s Tapas Bar with her partner Laura Serway. She is a strong advocate of women’s rights and fights hard to have them heard. Along with her partner, Laura, they created and established two small businesses, a coffee shop and a burger joint which they then sold to women who otherwise would not have qualified for funding. Both businesses are thriving today. She was the prior race director of the Komen Race for the Cure and a Volunteer for Vera House.

Merike Treier serves as deputy director and director of economic development for the Downtown Committee of Syracuse, Inc. In this role, Merike assists with the management of Downtown Committee programs involving advocacy, development and revitalization, marketing, security and environmental maintenance. She researches, applies for and implements grant programs to further downtown revitalization efforts and works closely with the real estate and development community. Merike also serves as executive director of the New York State Urban Council, a statewide not-for-profit organization whose mission is to facilitate and encourage the revitalization and development of central business districts in cities, towns and villages across New York State. The Council is active in advocating for programs and policies of benefit to New York State’s urban cores. Merike received a B.A. in Geography, with minors in Geology and Environmental Studies from the State University of New York at Geneseo and received an M.A. in Geography with a concentration in urban planning from Binghamton University.

Diane has been a resident of Syracuse for 31 years. Originally from North Carolina, Diane currently lives on the Southside. She serves as president of the Southside Interfaith CDC, is a board member of IFC- Interreligious Food Consortium, and is a board member of Faith Hope Community Center. She was recently appointed by Mayor Miner to serve on Syracuse Model Neighborhood Board.

Imani Pearl Williams is from Syracuse, NY and attends Corcoran High School. She is a part of the National Honor Society, the theatre program, and the band program at school. She will be graduating this year. Imani has been a diver for six years and hopes to attend a Division 1 diving school and major in something to do with music, probably music performance/education.