16 Katonah and Lewisboro residents recognized as 'Women of Distinction'

KATONAH, N.Y. - Sixteen women from Katonah and Lewisboro have been recognized as 2026 Women of Distinction.

Hosting the awards ceremony in May at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center was state Assemblyman Chris Burdick.

Representing Katonah were Cynthia Braun, Celeste Crosby, Elizabeth McGoldrick, Ruthie Rosenberg, Dr. Ambreen Choudri, Erika Glick, Dr. Lorraine Innes, Kathleen Knapp, Vicki Marwell, Marilyn Pellini, Susan Polos, Marisa Scheinfeld, and Bobbe Stultz.

From Lewisboro were Elena Dunn of South Salem, Doreen Nastasio of Cross River, and Susan Simon of Cross River.

Twenty-four other women from around the legislator’s 93rd District were also honored for their service to their communities.

Speaking at the program were Westchester County Legislator Erika L. Pierce (herself a 2025 Woman of Distinction), New Castle Town Supervisor Victoria Tipp, and Shirley Acevedo Buontempo, a Somers resident and the founder of Latino U College Access (LUCA).

(The entire ceremony can be viewed on NYS Assemblyman Chis Burdick’s Facebook page.)

 “I am in awe of the women we’re honoring tonight. Our communities are stronger because of them,” said Burdick in his introductory remarks.

Women “truly make an enormous difference in our communities” by advocating for and supporting the issues that have the “most direct” impact on quality of life, Pierce said.

“We teach. We heal. We feed. We care. We invent. We design. We lead,” she said, noting that women often do this while caring for both their children and elderly parents.

The ceremony wasn't just about accomplishments, but something “deeper,” according to Acevedo Buontempo.

“It’s about women who choose courage over comfort, compassion over indifference, and hope over cynicism. Women who understand that they can contribute in both big and small ways,” adding that “making our community stronger isn’t about our individual achievements but about lifting others up.”

Here’s a bit about the Katonah-Lewisboro honorees.

BRAUN/CROSBY/MCGOLDRICK/ROSENBERG

“Understanding that education is one of the most powerful ways to break the cycle of poverty,” Braun, Crosby, McGoldrick, and Rosenberg co-founded the nonprofit Katonah Education Exchange Program in 2010, nominators wrote.

In 2014, KEEP launched a partnership with the Kakenya Center for Excellence, a boarding school for girls in rural Kenya, located in a region where all too often girls are forced to drop out of school and marry at an early age.

KEEP funds annual scholarships for an entire class of 40 girls, “allowing them to pursue their dreams and empowering them to become agents of change in their communities,” nominators said.

CHOUDRI

A board-certified internal medicine physician, Dr. Choudri saw a need for medicine that “goes beyond rushed visits and waiting rooms.”

This led her to launch her own Concierge Internal Medicine Practice in Katonah, designed to bring back the doctor–patient relationship.

She mentors and educates patients and fellow clinicians around preventive health and longevity and also builds and shapes clinical screening frameworks for a new preventive health company in New York City.

DUNN

As a member of the Lewisboro Library’s Board of Trustees, Dunn has been a driving force behind the library’s vibrant “after-hours” programming and is “the powerhouse behind standout events, such as live concerts,” nominators said.

“Through her vision and leadership, the library has expanded beyond its traditional role. She has helped transform it into a dynamic community hub -- a place not just for books, but for connection, creativity, and shared experiences,” they added.

They also praised her gift for motivating folks to get involved in their community.

GLICK

Glick, who nominators called “a force for systemic transparency and academic equity,” is the founder and director of Katonah Village Kids.

The educator “cultivates a culture of deep community engagement and civic responsibility” by empowering her students “to look beyond themselves” by participating in service initiatives such as the Ty Louis Campbell Foundation’s "Muddy Puddles Project," which raises funds for childhood cancer research, they said.

Glick was also lauded as a formidable advocate for literacy, which she believes is a “fundamental right.”

INNES

Innes, a psychiatrist and the medical director at TTC Psychiatric, has served the community for 15 years treating a wide range of mental health conditions.

Under her leadership, TTC was the first practice in the area to introduce Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation – a non-invasive technique for treating mental health conditions by stimulating specific regions of the brain using precisely targeted magnetic pulses.

Her nominators described her as compassionate and able to listen and support patients by eschewing a one-size-fits-all approach in favor of individualized care.

KNAPP

Knapp, co-president of The Women’s Civic Club of Katonah, which functions as both a social group and a charity organization.

She is co-treasurer of the all-volunteer Katonah Village Improvement Society and has been at the forefront of organizing one of its largest and most enduring fundraising events, the Annual 5K Race.

Knapp is a devoted parishioner of St. Mary’s of the Assumption Church in Katonah and volunteers at many of their events, especially the monthly Senior Breakfast, where her baked goods are “legendary,” nominators said.

MARWELL

Marwell, a member of the Community Center of Northern Westchester’s Advisory Board, previously served on the Katonah Library Board for eight years, two as its president.

A longtime member of the Hopp Ground Garden Club of Bedford, she is currently its environmental chair.

Marwell was instrumental in creating the walking tour of historic Katonah that was sponsored by the Katonah Village Improvement Society.

She and her husband, Stewart, are heavily involved with Bedford 2030’s Green Light Awards, a competition that challenges high school students to create projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  

They also actively support the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester and Neighbors Link.

NASTASIO

When a Girl Scout leader, Nastasio organized a large-scale effort to deliver Girl Scout cookies to every veteran household in Lewisboro -- reaching approximately 250 of them.

After her daughter moved on from the Scouts, she ensured the continuation of this beloved tradition by passing leadership of the initiative to the Kids Community Club.

Nastasio has been an active member of the Lewisboro Veterans Advisory Committee since its inception in 2019, serving as the “social backbone” of the organization.

She supports veterans who were isolated or in need by offering companionship, organizational outreach, and even help with household tasks.

PELLINI

Pellini’s contributions to the community include serving as president of the Katonah Elementary School and John Jay Middle School PTAs, president of the Katonah Village Improvement Society, president of the Women’s Civic Club of Katonah, past chair of the Friends of the Katonah Village Library, and a member of Bedford’s Tree Committee.

Pellini is also a poet. In 2018, she published Dear Al: A Widow’s Struggles and Remembrances, written after unexpectedly losing her husband of almost 48 years.

She currently pens a column for the Katonah/Lewisboro Times, “Musings, Past and Present,” and has written original poems celebrating trees for Bedford’s Arbor Day celebrations.

POLOS

Longtime school librarian, Polos facilitated the creation of Fox Lane High School’s It’s Elementary, a student-run mentorship program.

She has been a president of the United States Board on Books for Young People, which promotes greater understanding through the sharing of books for children and young adults.

Polos serves on numerous national book award committees, including the 2014 Newbery Award Selection Committee, and recently the 2026 Caldecott Award Selection Committee.

She has been on the Katonah Village Library Board, partners with the Bedford Hills Free Library, and also moderates candidate forums hosted by the League of Women Voters of Westchester County.

SCHEINFELD

An author and photographer, Scheinfeld has had her work appear in numerous publications, including National Geographic, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.

She wrote The Borscht Belt: Revisiting the Remains of America’s Jewish Vacationland and co-founded the Borscht Belt Historical Marker Project.

A photography professor at SUNY Purchase, Scheinfeld is working on a book that explores hidden and overlooked histories and vanished communities in the Catskills and Hudson Valley, including stories about Katonah, North Salem, and Waccabuc.

She leads a group working to improve sidewalk conditions outside of Katonah Elementary School.

SIMON

Simon has served as a Lewisboro Town Justice since 2004, the first (and so far the only) woman to hold that role.

Previously she was a junior and senior high school math teacher, corporate executive, and an acting city court judge in Yonkers and Peekskill.

Simon also maintains a legal practice in Lewisboro, making her accessible as needed in exigent situations, such as arraignments and domestic violence orders of protection.

In nominating Judge Simon, Lewisboro Town Supervisor Tony Goncalves wrote:

“Throughout her more than two decades on the bench, (Judge Simon) has demonstrated unwavering integrity, kindness, and fairness in every decision she renders.”

STULTZ

Stultz is a founder and a past president of the Lewisboro Land Trust.

Under her leadership, the organization – which focuses on environmental stewardship, responsible care for nature, and education – experienced remarkable growth, including significant land acquisitions and the creation of native gardens. The organization now runs 40 outdoor programs per year.

Stultz, a former member of the Lewisboro Conservation Advisory Council, is co-founder of the Lewisboro Horseman’s Association, which promotes and supports the equestrian community and maintains riding trails.