Westchester County Executive George Latimer announced that 78 senior citizens from throughout the County will be honored at the on Friday, December 6 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Westchester Marriott, 670 White Plains Road, Tarrytown. This year’s program will present Joan S. Bonsignore of Scarsdale and Jim Isenberg of White Plains with top honors and will honor 78 seniors across 31 municipalities.
Latimer said: “I am honored to recognize this year’s group of seniors and induct them into our Westchester County Senior Citizens Hall of Fame. The Senior Citizens Hall of Fame is a highlight each year, as we thank the seniors in our communities for their contributions to the betterment of our County. The accomplishments and contributions from this year’s honorees make me proud to be your County Executive, and I look forward to celebrating with you all in person on Friday, December 6.”
Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services (DSPS) Mae Carpenter said: “We look forward to returning to the Westchester Marriott for this year’s Senior Hall of Fame as we recognize and celebrate this year’s honorees who have improved their communities, and Westchester County through their contributions. 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.”
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.
Four seniors will receive special recognition this year: The Honorable Symra D. Brandon of Yonkers, Linda Cindrich of Mount Kisco, Hal B. Greenwald of Yonkers, and Harmon McAllister of Port Chester. The 42nd Annual Senior Citizens Hall of Fame Awards will be hosted by DSPS, Westchester Parks, Recreation and Conservation, and the Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging Services.
This year’s event is sponsored by: Annual Sponsor – NewYork-Presbyterian and Bronze Sponsor –Wartburg. To purchase a ticket, sponsorship, or to congratulate an honoree with a journal ad, please visit www.westchesterpartnership.org/hall-of-fame/ or contact Chereese Jervis-Hill at EventsCJH@EventsRemember.com or call (914) 218-3968 for details.
Westchester County Senior Citizens Hall of Fame – Class of 2024
Top Honors: Joan S. Bonsignore, Scarsdale
Joan Bonsignore is the Executive Director and Founder of the Westchester Chapter of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD), which has a mission to educate the public regarding the disease of substance use disorders through education, intervention, and referrals. Bonsignore’s leadership has led her to build new programs like Wellness Classes and Lecture Series and create a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) program. Bonsignore has helped thousands of people, from 14-year-olds to seniors in their 80’s who are fighting alcohol and drug abuse, by creating a safe place with understanding and serving as a sounding board to help others get their lives back on track. Now sober for 35 years, Bonsignore is thankful to be here and looks forward to continuing her work with NCADD Westchester to help others in need throughout the County who are struggling with alcohol and drug dependency.
Top Honors: Jim Isenberg, White Plains
Jim Isenberg is the Co-Founder of Grandpas United of White Plains, an innovative intergenerational youth mentoring program where grandfathers help guide youth toward their goals. Through his leadership, Isenberg has played a vital role in establishing Grandpas United programs in cities such as Yonkers, New Rochelle, Port Chester and Peekskill. Isenberg participates in national podcasts, workshops and presentations nationwide to promote establishing grandpas’ communities. The Grandpas United of White Plains program is a mentor and counselor in the Youth Court program, helping over 100 youth in two years with a 100% success rate. In addition, the Grandpas Goes to School Program mentors children affected by the absence of a father, leading to improvements in their self-esteem, confidence and academic performance.
Special Recognition: The Honorable Symra D. Brandon, Yonkers
The Honorable Symra D. Brandon is currently the Director of Community Affairs for New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, where she provides leadership and advocacy for seniors and others in need. Brandon is a trailblazer who created legislation that provided property tax exemptions for senior citizens, veterans and Gold Star parents. With over 30 years of public service, Brandon was the first African American woman elected to the Yonkers City Council, where she helped play a role in the economic development and job creation on Yonkers’ Waterfront as well as her work on the Business Improvement Districts to improve the quality of life for residents.
Special Recognition: Linda Cindrich, Mount Kisco
Linda Cindrich has spent her entire adult life serving people of all ages in the community. During the COVID pandemic, when seniors were isolated and unable to visit the Senior Center, Cindrich taught televised art classes for homebound seniors, which grew from simple pencil and paper drawings to painting classes that are still being taught weekly. As Chairperson of the Mount Kisco Recreation Commission, Cindrich ensures that the senior population is well taken care of, their needs are being met, and that the Seniors Center remains a constant place for them to attend for friendships and engaging in activities they love. A proud resident of Westchester County, Cindrich proudly volunteers for many organizations in the area and helps prepare full Thanksgiving meals for needy seniors and their families, paying for all the items and delivering the meals to them.
Special Recognition: Hal B. Greenwald, Yonkers
Hal B. Greenwald is a New York State Supreme Court Justice for the 9th Judicial District and has 30 years of service as a member of the Family Service Society of Yonkers (FSSY) Board of Directors, where he currently serves as a Director. With his leadership and knowledge of New York State family law, FSSY’s programs and services for youth, kinship caregivers, the frail elderly at risk of abuse and exploitation, and other vulnerable populations have burgeoned and continued to flourish. Approximately 25 years ago, Greenwald created the Holocaust Remembrance Project at the Jewish Council of Yonkers (JCY) by utilizing photographs, Nazi propaganda, and other visual artifacts and coordinating their display with having Holocaust survivors speak to Yonkers public school students. His efforts and leadership have exposed over 2,000 students each year, creating an educational and memorable experience for students.
Special Recognition: Harmon McAllister, Port Chester
Harmon McAllister is the Lead Science Educator at the Westchester Children’s Museum, where he delivers science-based programs at the museum, schools, libraries and local organizations throughout Westchester County. In this role, McAllister is beloved by the staff and visitors to the Westchester Children’s Museum for his interactive and truly unique STEM workshops that he presents, which tackle scientific subjects and experiments that encourage kids from elementary through middle school to think critically and creatively like actual scientists.
Westchester County Senior Citizens Hall of Fame – Class of 2024
Armonk – Sandee Levinson
Bedford Hills – Kay Staplin
Briarcliff Manor – Audrey June May, John Philip O’Leary, Howard Permut
Bronxville – George C. McKinnis
Chappaqua – Robert S. Chao, Mark Dwyer, Lillian Wu
Cross River – Mary Curtis
Croton-on-Hudson – Donna Edwards, William Tuttle
Dobbs Ferry – Donna Marie Cassell
Eastchester – Judith Blau, Vito Pinto
Harrison – Nancy Chelwick, Lois Dinkin
Hartsdale – Walter D. Simon
Hastings-on-Hudson – Joyce A. DeVilbiss
Mamaroneck – Joanne Clementoni
Mount Kisco – **Linda Cindrich, Leila Dabby, Ed Reilly, Ralph Vigliotti
Mount Vernon – Leslie Alpert, Margie L. Bagby, Charles Rooney Guest, Norma J. Moses, Sr. Mary-Alice O’Brien, RDC, Thomas M. Pumo, Rev. Arthur S. Rose
New Castle – Sue Meany, Kent Thomas
New Rochelle – Camille Coppola, Vicki Fisher, Sr. Mary Alice Hannan, Jim Killoran, Michael A. Tedesco, Billie Tucker
Peekskill – Frances Berry, Rupert “Ted” Bitter, Paula Santacroce
Pelham – David Leven
Pleasantville – Dr. Linda Ching Sledge
Port Chester – Ann Galletta, **Harmon McAllister
Purchase – Dr. Linda Rachele Burke
Rye – Joseph Sciascia, Susan Van Dolsen
Rye Brook – Dr. Cynthia Johnson MacKay
Scarsdale – ***Joan S. Bonsignore, Hugh A. Schwartz
Somers – Debra Haggerty, Arnold Linhardt, Marilyn Wishnie
South Salem – Janet Elaine Andersen, Maureen Koehl, Nancy Palmiotto
Thornwood – Anthony Sibio
Tuckahoe – Nancy Hite-Norde
White Plains – Doris Bland, Fred Campbell, Bob Lashin Friedland, Corrine Harris, ***Jim Isenberg, Margo Moody, Halina Rosenkranz
Yonkers – John Angulat, **Hon. Symra D. Brandon, Dorothea Cronin, Jane Curtin, Kathleen Ennis, **Hal B. Greenwald, Hon. Michael Sabatino, Harry Singh, Robert Voorheis, Mae E. Williams
Yorktown Heights – RoseMarie Panio
*** Top Honors
** Special Recognition
