Westchester County to Celebrate 61 Seniors with Hall of Fame Awards

WHITE PLAINS, NY (October 25, 2025) — Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins announced that the achievements of 61 seniors from 33 municipalities will be honored at the 43rd Annual Westchester County Senior Citizens Hall of Fame Awards Luncheon on Friday, Dec. 5.

The event, hosted by the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services, Parks, Recreation, and Conservation, and the Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging Services, runs from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown. The program features lunch, awards presentations, live music and dancing.

Dr. Nicholas Cicchetti of Hawthorne and Lena Anderson, Esq., of White Plains will receive top honors. Distinguished honorees include Helen Frankel of Yonkers, Janice King Griffith of White Plains, Colette Phipps of New Rochelle and Meow Yee of Millwood.

Among the Sound Shore communities celebrated in the 43rd Annual Westchester County Senior Citizens Hall of Fame Awards, New Rochelle leads with five honorees: Rita Echevarria, Sandy Savitz Gruenberg, George Morris, distinguished recipient Colette Phipps, and Susan Brown Hollander. Pelham’s Lisa Kiernan joins Larchmont’s James Owen Druker, Rye’s Paul Rheingold, and Rye Brook’s Ervan Caesar as the sole representatives from their respective villages. Pelham Manor, Mamaroneck, and Port Chester had no inductees this year.

“I am deeply honored to recognize this year’s distinguished group of seniors as they are inducted into the Westchester County Senior Citizens Hall of Fame,” Jenkins said. “The Hall of Fame is one of the County’s most meaningful traditions, providing an opportunity to express our gratitude to the seniors whose leadership, service and dedication have strengthened our communities. The exceptional accomplishments of this year’s honorees reflect the very best of Westchester County, and I look forward to celebrating their achievements at the awards ceremony.”

The Senior Hall of Fame began as part of the 300th anniversary of Westchester’s founding to showcase how seniors have contributed to building the county. Over the past 43 years, more than 1,700 seniors have been inducted. Nominees must have made significant and enduring contributions to enhance Westchester’s quality of life through professional work, volunteer achievements or both. Community members submit nominations, and a panel of judges selects the honorees.

Department of Senior Programs and Services Commissioner Mae Carpenter said, “We are celebrating 43 years of the Senior Hall of Fame. I am so proud of this accomplishment and the wonderful people who have given countless hours of their time helping others. This is what building communities is all about! I could not be more delighted to acknowledge this year’s honorees and thank them all for their incredible contributions to improving the lives of others.”

Honorees represent municipalities including Ardsley, Briarcliff Manor, Bronxville, Croton-on-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, Elmsford, Granite Springs, Harrison, Hartsdale, Hastings-on-Hudson, Katonah, Larchmont, Lincolndale, Mount Kisco, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, North Salem, Peekskill, Pelham, Pleasantville, Pound Ridge, Rye, Rye Brook, Sleepy Hollow, Somers, South Salem, Tarrytown, Valhalla, White Plains, Yonkers and Yorktown Heights.

NewYork-Presbyterian is the annual sponsor, with Wartburg and the Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging Services as bronze sponsors.

Tickets and congratulations for honorees are available at www.westchesterpartnership.org/hall-of-fame or by contacting Angelique Morelli at (914) 218-3968.

43rd Annual Westchester County Senior Citizens Hall of Fame Awards Honorees

The 61 honorees, announced by Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins, are listed below by category where specified, including their names and municipalities.

Top Honors

• Lena Anderson, Esq. – White Plains

• Dr. Nicholas Cicchetti – Hawthorne

Distinguished Honorees

• Helen Frankel – Yonkers

• Janice King Griffith – White Plains

• Colette Phipps – New Rochelle

• Meow Yee – Millwood

Other Honorees

• Shelly I. Hanner – Ardsley

• Jay Leon – Ardsley

• Ira Keith Austin – Briarcliff Manor

• Alma Rivera – Bronxville

• Vic Conte – Croton-on-Hudson

• Barbara Ginsberg – Dobbs Ferry

• Donald Marra – Dobbs Ferry

• Mary Lynch Toomy – Dobbs Ferry

• Charlotte Y. Phoenix – Elmsford

• Glenn Hintze – Granite Springs

• Fred Claar – Harrison

• Lawrence Joel Hine – Hartsdale

• Susan Seal – Hartsdale

• Barbara Shulman – Hartsdale

• Patricia Spana – Hartsdale

• Anne F. Russak – Hastings-on-Hudson

• E. Annette Nash Govan – Katonah

• Dolores Vidal-Roy – Katonah

• James Owen Druker – Larchmont

• Susan Cody – Lincolndale

• Rita Echevarria – New Rochelle

• Sandy Savitz Gruenberg – New Rochelle

• George Morris – New Rochelle

• Susan Brown Hollander – New Rochelle

• Beverly Golisano – North Salem

• Jinx Remson – North Salem

• Isabel Pettersen – Peekskill

• Lisa Kiernan – Pelham

• Mary R.H. Dwyer – Pleasantville

• Barbara Earle – Pound Ridge

• Paul Rheingold – Rye

• Ervan Caesar – Rye Brook

• Frances McLaughlin – Sleepy Hollow

• Denis J. Timone – Somers

• George Scott – South Salem

• Patti Colombo – Tarrytown

• Diane Torstrup – Tarrytown

• Emmy L. Creskey – Valhalla

• Rakesh Behal – White Plains

• Sheila A. Giddings – White Plains

• Gingie Greene – White Plains

• Leroy Jones – White Plains

• Stuart Kolbert – White Plains

• Dr. Vito Sessa – White Plains

• Francine Taplin Shorts – White Plains

• Maria Benejean – Yonkers

• Barbara F. Hanna – Yonkers

• Ann Kachmar – Yonkers

• Theresa Murphy – Yonkers

• Anne M. O’Neill – Yorktown Heights

• Susan Goodman – Mount Kisco

• John Rhodes – Mount Kisco

• John Stockbridge – Mount Kisco

• Annie Biedleman – Mount Vernon

• Brenda Miles – Mount Vernon

This article was drafted with the aid of Grok, an AI tool by xAI, under the direction and editing of Robert Cox to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards.