Mineola Board of Education Trustee Christine Napolitano is one of 17 women named to North Hempstead’s 2013 May W. Newburger Women of Distinction award list.
“When they called me I actually thought they were looking for the school board president,” Napolitano said before the start of Thursday night’s meeting of the board of education at the Willis Avenue School, “and I cut her off kind of saying ‘I’m not the school board president’.”
March is designated as Women’s History Month. The awards will be handed out on Thursday, March 21 at the Clubhouse at Harbor Links in Port Washington beginning at 8 a.m. This year the theme of the ceremony will recognize North Hempstead “Trail Blazers.”
Napolitano said she was “extremely honored and deeply touched to be recognized as a woman of honor.”
A health and fitness professional who has lived in Williston Park since 1992, previously served as head of the school board during the 2011-2012 school year. She was first elected to the board of education in 2009. she was nominated to the list by Mineola School Superintendent Dr. Michael Nagler.
Other local honorees include Janey Wohlars of Mineola, Marie Callahan of Williston Park and Rose Marie Murphy of Albertson.
“I was very surprised but I was also very touched because this is a difficult job and you don’t do it for (fame),” Napolitano said. “It is nice to be recognized for your efforts.”
The 2013 honorees:
Name Community Grace Bryant Westbury Marie Callahan Williston Park Cindy Cardinal Manhasset Marion Endrizzi Manhasset Mindy Germain Port Washington Renee Haber East Hills Catherine Handy Westbury Sharon Kovacs Gruer Great Neck Linda Leaf Great Neck Lauretta Murdock Port Washington Rose Marie Murphy Albertson Christine Napolitano Williston Park Ania Nassimi Great Neck Parvaneh Doustan Sarraf Roslyn Jane Schwartz Port Washington Stella Spanakos Manhasset Janet Wohlars Mineola