Somers Residents Inducted into Senior Hall of Fame

SOMERS, N.Y. - Three Somers seniors were honored earlier this month for their outstanding service to their community and to the county.

Inducted into the Westchester County Senior Hall of Fame on Dec. 6 in Tarrytown were Debra Haggerty, Arnold Linhardt, and Marilyn Wishnie.

The Senior Hall of Fame began as part of the 300th Anniversary of Westchester County’s founding to showcase how seniors have contributed to building the county. 

Over the past 42 years, nearly 1,600 seniors have been inducted. 

To be nominated, seniors must have made significant and enduring contributions to enhance Westchester’s quality of life through their professional work, volunteer achievements, or both. Community members make nominations, and a panel of judges selects the honorees.

Prior to the ceremony, Westchester County Executive George Latimer said that the accomplishments and contributions from this year’s honorees made him proud to be their county executive.

“The Class of 2024 honorees have made a lasting impact on the county, and we thank them for all they have done and will continue to do,” said Mae Carpenter, commissioner of the county Department of Senior Programs and Services.

Haggerty 

Haggerty is active in St. James Episcopal Church. She was chair of its annual silent auction, had served as corresponding secretary, and worked with other church members to organize a peace march for Ukraine.

She was involved in Woman 2 Woman, a prison ministry program at the Bedford Hills and Taconic correctional facilities and her family hosted children’s programs at the Bedford Hills prison.

As a member of the Somers Democratic Club, she has instrumental in getting the most signatures on political petitions and has, the county said, “displayed a dedication to democracy, women’s rights, and fairness for all.”

Linhardt 

Linhardt served on the Board of the National Jewish Democratic Council and is a former officer of the Westchester Jewish Council. He is currently the chair of the council’s Government Affairs Committee, “where he has been instrumental in serving as a liaison between the elected officials of Westchester and the Jewish community of Westchester,” the county said.

He has more than 40 years of experience in the government and nonprofit sectors.

A veteran political strategist and lobbyist, Linhardt has joined Willett Public Affairs as a senior advisor. In this role, he works with the non-profit and public interest sectors, particularly for the provision of specialized services related to grants and funding from federal, state, and local government, helping them to navigate the complex process of obtaining funding grants, or local municipal approvals to move projects forward.

Prior to joining Willett Public Affairs, he was president of his own consulting firm Strategic Services, Inc., where he helped clients such as Tarrytown Music Hall, Burke Rehabilitation Center, Lyndhurst Mansion (a museum), Hudson River Museum, and others secure vital program funding and grants from federal, state, and county governments. 

Wishnie 

Wishnie has served a member of the governing board of the Ossining Children’s Center for more than 25 years, “where she has been a force in improving the lives of hundreds of children,” the county said.

She was board president for two terms and was chair of its Long-Range Planning Committee.

Wishnie led the planning process that resulted in the board’s decision “to create a new state of the art facility to better serve the needs of the community,” the county said.

Wishnie also co-chaired its $18 million capital campaign to raise the funds to build its new facility on State Street. 

“The new facility has made OCC’s programs more convenient and accessible for families, has enabled teaching staff to enhance their curriculum and create new and exciting experiences for the children,” the county said.

As the co-chair of the Personnel Committee, she worked to make OCC one of the first childcare centers to have health insurance for employees and to ensure that the center is “in the vanguard of HR issues in child care.”