Published: October 02, 2008 01:39 am            

AWARDS: YWCA of Niagara honors eight area women

NIAGARA FALLS — By Rick Ahrens

ngedit@gnnewspaper.com

As far as Susan Diemert was concerned everyone was a winner Tuesday night.

“Niagara County is in better shape due to the talents of every woman in this room,” the winner of the Education Award said during the YWCA of Niagara’s Tribute to Women event at Conference Center Niagara Falls.

The Niagara Awards, the annual honor bestowed by the YWCA, were given to eight women from Niagara Falls, Lockport, and greater Niagara County.

Diemert was for recognized for developing and implementing adult literacy programs across Western New York.

Tuesday’s ceremony was the ninth annual presentation of the awards, which began in 1997 as a way to recognize local women whose outstanding contributions to their respective fields are worthy of recognition by their peers.

The floor of the Cascade Ballrooms within the conference center was dominated by tightly packed tables, around which sat community members, past Niagara Award recipients and local and state officials.

The award ceremony also served as a fundraiser for the YWCA’s community programs.

Joanna Pasceri, anchor of WKBW-TV’s nightly newscasts, acted as emcee for the ceremony. It was the Lockport native’s fourth year heading up the celebrations.

“I really am honored to be here with this year’s nominees,” Pasceri said. “Politically, this has really been the year of the woman. Women’s issues have reached the forefront of this year’s election.”

Twenty nominees were honored in total. The eight award winners were voted on from that pool.

Many of the honorees attributed their success to the support of their families in times when their workdays were long and their attention spread among their various projects.

“I think all the women being honored tonight can say one thing — none of us could have done this on our own, without out families,” said Joanne Stanton, winner of the Management Award.

The other award winners were Jody Chesko, Entrepreneurship; Nora Smith, Customer Service; Lynda Mahoney, Health and Human Services; Judge Sara S. Sperrazza, Public Service; Carrie Morrison, Youth Award, and Dr. Maria Crea-Smith, Lifetime Achievement.

The remaining nominees included Connie Adams, Priscilla Addoms, Laurie Davis, Marie-Therese Frieri, Theresa Fezer, Carsee Herring, Norma Higgs, Carol Houwaart-Diez, Maria Massaro, Lee Morgan, Christine O’Hara, Chelsea Pelsone, and Alicia Scott.

Rick Ahrens is a Greater Niagara Newspapers contributor.

        

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