On Thursday, March 7, YWCA Mohawk Valley (YWCA MV) held Salute Reveal, an exclusive event to announce the official honorees for Salute to Outstanding Women.

Salute is YWCA MV’s way of honoring women in Herkimer and Oneida counties for the contributions they’ve made to the Mohawk Valley community. Each year, women are nominated by the public for nine categories and each honoree is inducted into the Salute Academy. Nominations are reviewed by an independent panel of judges.

The names of this year’s honorees were announced officially at Reveal last night. For the category of…

Education

Maria Lindsay, Principal at Little Falls Middle School

Entrepreneur

Christina Buschmann, Owner of Yoga Hot Spot

Healthcare

Dianne DiMeo, Training and Staff Development Coordinator at Regional Primary Care Network.

Human and Public Service

Gail Miskowiec, Chief Operations Officer at The Arc, Oneida-Lewis Chapter

Outstanding Youth

Brooke Riscica, Senior at Whitesboro High School

Professions/Business and Industry

Kristen Szarek, Director of Customer Care Center at Defense Finance Accounting Service Rome

Social Justice

Olivia Paul, Financial Compliance Officer at The Hartford

STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math)

Lisa Davis, Coordinator of Westmoreland Central Schools’ Maker Space

Unsung Heroine

Sister Lois Paciello, Community Outreach and Bereavement Director at Church of Our Lady of Lourdes

Left to Right: Dianne DiMeo, Healthcare – Gail Miskowiec, Human and Public Service – Christina Buschmann, Entrepreneur – Maria Lindsay, Education – Kristen Szarek, Professions/Business and Industry – Olivia Paul, Social Justice – Lisa Davis, STEAM – Brooke Riscica, Outstanding Youth – Sister Lois Paciello, Unsung Heroine

These nine Honorees will be celebrated at Salute to Outstanding Women in May and will be officially inducted into the Salute Academy, an ever-growing collective of 248 women who have been honored in 31 years. The Salute to Outstanding Women celebration luncheon and awards ceremony will be held on May 9, 2019 at Hart’s Hill Inn in Whitesboro. Tickets are available to the public.

To RSVP, call 315.732.2159 ext. 238 or email events@ywcamv.org.

All proceeds benefit YWCA MV’s services, including domestic and sexual violence crisis services, shelter and transitional housing, education and outreach programs, and more.

Reveal was generously sponsored by Valentino’s Banquet Hall. Salute 2019 is made possible by Award Sponsors Adorino Construction Inc. (Outstanding Youth), Baird (Unsung Heroine), Bank of Utica (Professions/Business and Industry), Excellus BlueCross BlueShield (Healthcare), Indium Corporation (STEAM), and Scalzo, Zogby & Wittig, Inc. (Entrepreneur) and Media Sponsors WKTV, Lite 98.7, and Utica Observer-Dispatch.

Sponsorship opportunities for this year’s luncheon celebration on May 9 are still available. For more information, contact YWCA MV at 315.732.2159 ext. 238 or events@ywcamv.org.