Town of North Hempstead to honor notable North Shore women

Joe Nikic

As part of Women’s History Month, the Town of North Hempstead will honor 13 North Shore women for the 23rd annual May W. Neuberger Women’s Roll of Honor.

The ceremony will take place at the Clubhouse at Harbor Links in Port Washington on March 16 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.

“For 23 years, North Hempstead has recognized inspirational women who are trailblazers in their local communities,” Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth said. “Each of our honorees have gone above and beyond and truly made a difference in their neighborhood.”

Village of Kensington Mayor Susan Lopatkin is one of the women who will be honored by the town.

“I’m very honored to have gotten this award,” Lopatkin said. “At least in our community, where there are a lot of small villages, people really value a certain way of life and it’s very gratifying to be recognized for the hard work in trying to deliver that to residents.”

She has served as mayor of Kensington since 2008, after previously serving as chair of the village’s zoning board and executive board member of the Kensington Civic Organization.

Lopatkin also serves as vice president of the Great Neck Village Officials Association.

She is an active member at Temple Israel of Great Neck where she chairs the temple’s finance committee.

Lopatkin said her husband, who is on the executive board at Temple Israel, had nominated her for the town honoring, which she called “very sweet.”

Great Neck resident Alice Kasten will also be honored by the town.

Kasten is president of the Great Neck Historical Society, where she was a founding member of the Board of Directors.

“All of us have given much of our time to things that are outside of ourselves and to things that are for the community,” she said. “It is very nice to be appreciated for those things.”

Kasten has served on the board of CLASP Children’s Center for 20 years.

She also currently serves on the Board of the New York State Science Olympiad, and has coordinated the Middle School Regional Competitions in New York City for over 20 years.

“I’ve always believed in giving back to your community. I haven’t been a passive person,” Kasten said. “If you want something to get better or you want something to change then you need to do something about it.”

Sands Point resident Annette Oestreich will also be honored by the town.

Oestreich operates a power equipment business called “Precision Work” in Port Washington.

She is an active member of the Board of Directors of the Property Owners Association of Harbor Acres and has served as its treasurer for over 25 years.  

Oestreich has also served on the Residents Club Commission of the Village Club of Sands Point and was a founding member of the Astor Lane Residents Association.

She is also a member of local organizations including the Sons of Italy and the Port Washington Chamber of Commerce.

Karen Sloan, a 17-year Port Washington resident, will also be honored by the town.

Sloan is currently serving her seventh year as president of the Port Washington Board of Education.

She has served on the board of the Sandsport/Shoshana Chapter of Hadassah, devoting herself to fundraising for cancer research, according to a biography submitted to the town.

Sloan has also worked to promote the safety of children with the Safety and Substance Abuse Task Force, which she has co-chaired for the past eight years.

Manhasset resident Elizabeth Parella will also be honored by the town.

Parella has been a member of the American Legion Auxiliary Manhasset Unit 304 since 2010 and currently serves as vice president and treasurer.

She also chairs the unit’s Education and Empire Girls State programs, through which she has worked with both Manhasset high schools to recognize academic achievement as well as provide an opportunity for girls to learn more about government.

Manhasset resident and physician Isma Habib Chaudhry will also be honored by the town.

Chaudhry has been involved with the Islamic Center of Long Island for the past 20 years, and was elected the center’s first female president this year.

During her years of community service, she has focused on combating Islamophobia, developing youth programs and growing interfaith initiatives.

Chaudhry is co-chair of the Board of Trustees for Long Island WINS, an immigration advocacy organization, and a member of the Nassau County Anti-Bias Task Force.

Former East Williston school board President and 28-year East Williston resident Ellen Ritz will also be honored by the town.

Ritz has presented bullying programs for CAPS, or Child Abuse Protective Services, in Nassau County schools and was a founding member of East Williston/Roslyn Coalition against Drugs and Alcohol Abuse.

She is also involved with “Breast Cancer Awareness” programs for high school seniors throughout Nassau County, vice president of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Queens/Nassau board, heading the Bylaws, Policies & Finance Committees and the FaithNet committee coordinating presentations on mental health issues with clergy of different faiths.

Ritz is also currently running for an East Williston Board of Trustees seat.

Roslyn Heights residents Lauren Furst and Heather Schwartz, Plandome Heights resident Mary Frances Jeffrey, Great Neck resident Lori Beth Schwartz and Westbury residents Jackie Caines and Mary Campbell will also be honored by the town at the ceremony.

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