WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY — 51 seniors will be honored at the 40th Annual Westchester County Senior Citizens Hall of Fame Awards Virtual Celebration next month.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer will join in honoring the achievements of 51 senior citizens from 27 municipalities throughout the county on Dec. 2, at 11:30 a.m. The awards celebration will be held virtually and streamed from the Westchester Public Private Partnership for Aging Services website.
This year's program names Sarah Bracey White of Ossining and Frank Williams Jr. of White Plains with top honors.
Four seniors will receive Special Recognition: David Julius Ancruem of Yonkers, Nancy Borzain of White Plains, Constance Messerly Kehoe of Irvington, and Katherine L. Vockins of Katonah.
The family of the late Antoinette Lotito of Dobbs Ferry will receive the Legacy Recognition in her honor.
"I am honored to recognize this year's group of seniors and induct them into our Westchester County Senior Citizens Hall of Fame," said Westchester County Executive George Latimer. "The Senior Citizens Hall of Fame is our way to honor our seniors for giving their time, energy, and talents to enhancing the quality of life throughout Westchester."
The annual celebration began as part of the 300th Anniversary of Westchester County's founding, to showcase how seniors have contributed to our communities. Over the past 40 years, nearly 1,300 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. Members make nominations of the community, and a panel of judges selects the honorees. The names of past honorees are engraved on plaques displayed at the Department of Senior Programs and Services (DSPS) office in Mount Vernon.
"The Senior Hall of Fame is a highlight of the year, and we look forward to recognizing this year's honorees who have improved their communities and Westchester County through their significant contributions," said Commissioner Mae Carpenter, DSPS. "We look forward to our 40th Annual Senior Citizens Hall of Fame Awards, and celebrating this distinguished group of seniors."
The 40th Annual Senior Citizens Hall of Fame Awards is hosted by the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services (DSPS), Westchester Parks, Recreation, and Conservation, and the Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging Services.
This year's event is sponsored by: Gold Sponsor - Wartburg; Silver Sponsor – CenterLight Healthcare PACE, and NewYork-Presbyterian; Bronze Sponsor - The Village of Bronxville and the Senior Citizens Council.
All are invited to watch the 40th Annual Senior Citizens Hall of Fame Awards Program here. Sponsorships and congratulatory journal ad opportunities are still available on the website. For more details, contact Chereese Jervis-Hill at 914-218-3968 or email this address.
The full list of awardees:
Westchester County Senior Citizens Hall of Fame – Class of 2022
Top Honors: Sarah Bracey White, Ossining
Sarah Bracey White is the Executive Director of the Arts & Culture Council for the Town of Greenburgh, a part-time position she has held for 30 years. Sarah is an accomplished playwright, fiction and non-fiction writer, memoirist, poet and stage performer. She has a gift of elevating others and inspiring their creativity through her teaching, mentoring leadership, and motivational speaking. Throughout her tenure as Executive Director, the Arts & Culture Council received the Westchester Art's Council Millennium Award for Community Arts Education and has held exhibits for local artists, an art gallery, creative writing workshops for youth, and conducted poetry writing workshops.
Top Honors: Frank Williams Jr. is the Executive Director of the White Plains Youth Bureau; he has dedicated his life to public service. As the Executive Director of the White Plains Youth Bureau, Frank has developed programs to serve over 7,000 kids. He is the founder of Grandpas United, which provides mentoring and role modeling to youth from underserved communities. Grandpas United offers mentees the talents, skills, and experiences of "Grandpas" to improve the community. Grandpas United has now received funding, and the program's success has led to its expansion to New Rochelle, Port Chester, Ossining, and Peekskill. In addition to his current role, Frank has been the President of the New York State Association of Bureaus, Coordinator of My Brother's Keeper, a Deacon at Bethel Baptist Church, a Trustee for College of Westchester, and developed after-school programs and a senior ministry at Bethel Baptist Church. His commitment to serving the community has earned Frank a National Volunteer Service Award from President Barack Obama, the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Dr. Carter G. Woodson Award, and the City of White Plains Human Rights Distinguished Service Award, amongst many others.
Special Recognition: David Julius Ancruem, Yonkers
David Julius Ancruem is a long-time Westchester resident who is always willing to help those in need. With a passion for championing equality for all, David is constantly working to meet the needs of others in his community who are struggling with hunger, poor treatment, housing, and other issues. As the Vice President of the New York State NAACP, a leader of the Democratic Women's Black Caucus, and a Democratic Ward in his district, David played pivotal roles in calming stressful situations during periods of unrest while fostering peaceful resolutions.
Special Recognition: Nancy Borzain, White Plains
Nancy Borzain is a volunteer for RideConnect, where she has provided over 400 rides/shops since starting in 2017. As one of the most requested volunteers by clients at RideConnect, Nancy is a caring person and always willing to put others first to help those in need. During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, Nancy became involved with RideConnect's Shop and Drop program, which allowed clients to call the office and request that a volunteer do their shopping and leave it at their front door.
Special Recognition: Constance Messerly Kehoe, Irvington
Constance Messerly Kehoe is the President and Director of Revolutionary Westchester 250, Inc. (RW250), a nonprofit organization she founded in 2018 to promote Westchester County's Revolutionary War history in anticipation of the United States Semi-Quincentennial in 2026. In her role as President and Director of RW250, she has helped connect the public to our nation's origins through programs ranging from colonial days and walking tours, academic research, live and virtual presentations, and online video content. During her tenure, Constance has become Westchester County's special liaison for planning the 250th commemoration by working in collaboration with regional municipal offices, historical organizations, veterans groups, libraries, private businesses, and individual experts and volunteers.
Special Recognition: Katherine L. Vockins, Katonah
Katherine Vockins is the founder of Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of incarcerated individuals at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility and five other New York State prisons. RTA helps people in prison develop critical life skills through the arts, modeling an approach to the justice system based on human dignity rather than punishment. A true visionary and known for tackling the broken criminal just system, Katherine has produced over 50 performances, effectively rehabilitated incarcerated individuals, and advocated for the passage of Elder Parole.
Legacy Recognition: Antoinette Lotito, 92, Dobbs Ferry, NY (Posthumously)
Antoinette (“Toni”) Lotito lived in Dobbs Ferry for over 60 years and was an active member in her local church and her community. Toni was a school teacher for many years and a strong supporter of educational programs for seniors. She attended many Senior Law Day events and left a generous bequest to help support the Senior Law Day programs after her passing on February 21, 2021. , These programs include the production of the Elder Law Question and Answer (Q&A) publication as well as other programs and events, which will allow Senior Law Day to continue providing innovative programs for older adults in Westchester County at no charge.
Westchester County Senior Citizens Hall of Fame – Class of 2022
Armonk – Robby Morris
Bronxville – Stephen Alan Mitchell
Chappaqua – Cynthia Strauss
Cortlandt Manor – Jacqueline DiPierro
Croton Falls – Cynthia M. Curtis
Croton-on-Hudson – Janet Meyer
Cross River – Henri Wolfe
Dobbs Ferry - *Antoinette (Toni) Lotito
Elmsford – Lemuel Alexander Davis
Goldens Bridge – Daniel Sant
Hartsdale – Seymour Schreiber
Irvington – **Constance Messerly Kehoe
Katonah – **Katherine L. Vockins
Lincolndale – Doris Jane Smith
Montrose – Gloria Boyd
Mount Vernon – David A. Alpert, Sr. M. Rose Jerome Kenlon, Sr. DeLillis Christine McGee, Mary Liz Mulligan, Pamella Rose, Carol M. White
New Rochelle – Diane Guernsey, Elaine Hutchins, Maggie Klein, Arlene Evelyn Salman, Louise Shepherd
Ossining – Michael O'Connor, Mary Ann Roberts, Francine Vernon, ***Sarah Bracey White
Peekskill – Cynthia Anderson
Pleasantville – Elizabeth Dieter
Rye – Daniel O'Day
Scarsdale – Lisa Marville, Joan O'Donnell
South Salem – Paul A. Lewis
Valhalla – Steven L. Marello
Verplanck – Gwendolyn (Wendy) Armstrong
White Plains – **Nancy Borzain, Dorothy Jeanette Jenkins, William H.P. Kaung, Charon B. Lucas, Judith (Judy) Mayes, Gladys Ullmann, ***Frank Williams, Jr.
Yonkers – **David Julius Ancreum, Louise Navarro, Elizabeth Owens, Dale Rascoe, Eileen Tallon, Rev Dr. Somboon Tessalee
*** Top Honors
** Special Recognition
* Legacy
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