Four North Salem residents honored as 'Women of Distinction'

NORTH SALEM, N.Y. - Four community leaders from North Salem have been named “Women of Distinction” for 2025.

The prestigious award is made each year by state Assemblyman Chris Burdick (D-Bedford), who represents the 93rd AD.

They are Suzannah Glidden, Susan Lucas, Nzingha Milanes, and Camelia Peña-Rivera.

All told, 37 women will be recognized at a ceremony set for 7 p.m. Monday, June 23, at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center. It will be broadcast on Burdick’s Facebook page at FB.com/ChrisBurdickAD93.

The award recognizes women who have made a difference in their communities and to the people around them.

Glidden

Glidden’s contributions are wide and varied.

She is an environmentalist, political activist, television and radio producer, writer, interviewer, host, actor, marketing strategist, and healing arts practitioner.

Glidden is currently co-chair and co-founder of Interfaith Advocates for Fair Law Enforcement, an ad hoc group that’s fighting for “mass incarceration” reforms.

While sincerely grateful for being named a “Woman of Distinction,” she modestly noted: “I’m just one of many activists who deserve recognition.”

“We should all stand up and be activists to restore democracy in our country,” asserted Glidden, who is also a Westchester Senior Hall of Fame inductee.

She is a founding member of Advocates for Responsible Climate Action (ARCA) that helped create -- with climate scientists, engineers, and economic experts – the New York State Climate Responsibility Act, which was signed into law in 2019 and aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. She also shepherded campaigns fighting for the transitioning “from fossil fuels to renewable energy, efficiency and conservation.”

Glidden co-founded Stop the Algonquin Expansion Pipeline (SAPE) and was board treasurer and executive director of Community Watersheds Clean Water Coalition Inc., which has 50 member groups from New York City as well as Westchester, Putnam, and Rockland counties. The coalition fought for, and won, a moratorium on hydrofracking of natural gas in New York state.

Glidden was founder and chair of Hands Across the Border, an environment protection and advocacy group.

Among the local groups with which she’s been involved are the Peach Lake Environmental Committee, Indivisible North Salem/Somers, Indivisible Northern Westchester, North Salem Open Land Foundation, the Putnam County Land Trust, Putnam County Humane Society, and the Ryder Organic Farm Community Supported Agriculture.

In 2003, Glidden ran as a Democratic candidate for Town Board.

She was also a member of the North Salem Democratic Club’s board of directors and a membership secretary.

Glidden, a former co-chair and district leader with the North Salem Democratic Committee, also co-founded the Northern Westchester Democratic Committee.

Milanes

“I’m humbled and proud to be recognized among such an inspiring group of women. Public service and community engagement have always been at the heart of my life’s work,” Milanes told Halston Media last week.

The former insurance broker has been a member of the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals for more than nine years.

Milanes is a graduate of the Land Use Leadership Alliance (LULA) program and had served on the board of directors of the New York Planning Federation, representing Metro New York Regions 1 and 2.

She chairs the North Salem Republican Town Committee and is actively involved in civic and community initiatives in the town and surrounding areas.

Milanes has two master’s degrees from Liberty University, one in public administration and the other in political science. She has an undergrad degree in public policy.

Milanes said she’s “especially proud” of creating the committee’s scholarship program for graduating high school seniors and also of its internship program, which aims to introduce local students to government and public service.

It also distributes pocket Constitutions to students and encourages “youth engagement” through contests and educational outreach.

While serving on North Salem’s Police Reform & Reinvention Task Force, Milanes advocated for the town’s funding of liability insurance for its police officers – specifically coverage through the Fraternal Order of Police.

A lifelong supporter of the arts, she was recently appointed to the board of the Schoolhouse Theater, Westchester’s oldest professional theater. It operates out of the town's community center in the hamlet of Croton Falls.

“North Salem has been my home for over 15 years. I care deeply about this community, and I’m truly grateful for this recognition. It’s a reminder that dedication to service, at every level, makes a lasting impact,” she said.

Lucas

“I have the pleasure of being a part of Assemblyman Burdick’s Advocacy Committee for the Disabled.   I am one of many, so it was a major surprise to be named among the Women of Distinction. I can’t thank Assemblyman Burdick enough for this honor and will always treasure this award,” Susan Lucas said.

Lucas has always been deeply involved in the community, volunteering in school events and Boy and Girl Scouts over the years.

More recently her focus has shifted to support The Arc, an organization that advocates for children and adults with disabilities, at both the local chapter and state levels.

Lucas is president of the North Salem Lions Club and is a sixth-grade religious education teacher with St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Somers. She is also a member of the church’s Respect Life Committee.

She and her husband, Warren, the town supervisor, have five children. They all live nearby, which allows the couple to “spend quality time with them, their families, and friends.”

Lucas’s middle daughter has intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).

“In the past, the outdated term ‘mentally retarded’ was used to describe her condition, but thankfully, the language has evolved, and we now use the term ‘special needs,’” Lucas wrote. "Likewise, The Arc --originally called the ‘Association for Retarded Children’ -- has adopted a more inclusive name. Founded over 75 years ago by a mother seeking support, The Arc continues to advocate for children and adults with disabilities.”

Recently retired as a Doctor of Physical Therapy who specialized in home care, Lucas now dedicates her time to advocacy for the I/DD community.

She is president of The Arc Mid-Hudson’s board of directors, one of 35 chapters in the state, and is senior vice president of The Arc New York, where she oversees a region that stretches from Putnam County to the Canadian border.

That advocacy involves raising awareness “about the unique challenges faces by individuals with disabilities, their families, and those who support them,” Lucas said, adding:

“As Margaret Mead famously said, ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.’”

Peña-Rivera

Camelia (Camie) Peña-Rivera is a real estate broker, speaker, and advocate for sexual abuse awareness.

She is the CEO of CPR Real Estate Group at Remax DHP and serves on the board of the Westchester Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and of Yo Digo No Mas (Say No More), an organization that fights sexual abuse of children.

She is a certified trainer for the Hispanic Wealth Project and an ambassador for the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professional (NAHREP).

Peña-Rivera co-founded Inspira Mastermind, a group for real estate industry professionals. She also promotes, and is a facilitator for, “Forgive to Live,” a concept and event series that highlights the importance of forgiveness to personal healing and growth.

The person who nominated her for the “Women of Distinction” award sent Halston Media the following statement:

“I nominated Camie Peña-Rivera for the Women of Distinction award because she exemplifies what it means to lead with purpose, passion, and integrity. Her dedication to empowering others, whether it’s guiding families through the life-changing process of homeownership or mentoring fellow professionals in the real estate industry, is truly inspiring. Camie doesn’t just show up for her clients and colleagues, she invests in them, uplifts them, and creates opportunities for generational growth and success. Her impact reaches far beyond sales. She is a connector, a community builder, and a woman of unwavering strength and compassion who makes everyone around her better.”

“I didn’t even know it was something that was done,” said a pleasantly surprised Peña-Rivera. “It was a huge honor.”

She has a “large, blended family” with two daughters, two sons, and six grandchildren.

For Peña-Rivera, it’s “a big deal” that her father came to the United States from the Dominican Republican and worked hard so she could go to college and “live the American dream.”

Having a child recognized in this way is, she said, “a very proud moment for my mom and dad.”