This week, New York State Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright honored four Roosevelt Islanders as “Women of Distinction.” The annual awards take place during women’s history month in March 2021.
By David Stone
“We celebrate women today who are exemplary change-makers and
influencers and the pioneers of the past upon whose shoulders we stand,”
Assembly Member Seawright said in a press release.
“They all inspire us to resist and keep up the fight. To the Women of Distinction, we say congratulations! You are an enduring inspiration to our entire community, our beloved city, and our great state of New York!”
Because the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic shut down the ceremony for 2020, Seawright included last year’s honorees as well. The session took place on Zoom and was shown live on Facebook.
Roosevelt Island Women of Distinction 2020-21
As noted in Assembly Member Seawright’s press release…
Aiesha Eleusizov is the Manhattan Association Chair for Girl Scouts of Greater
New York and a troop leader for Troop 3001 and Troop 3244. Over the past
eight years, Aiesha, with co-leader Yitza Martinez and the girls of their troops,
have spent countless hours making Roosevelt Island a better place. In her
professional life, Aiesha is a Senior Program Officer in education leadership at
The Wallace Foundation, where she works to foster equity and improvements
in learning and enrichment for young people.
Dr. Katherine Teets Grimm is a physician who specializes in pediatrics and child
abuse. In addition to her private practice on Roosevelt Island, she serves as a
child abuse pediatrician for the Mount Sinai Medical System and the New York
Center for Children.
Editors Note: Dr. Grimm has served with distinction on the board of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp., one of the first appointed after a public vote. In 2022, Dr. Grimm Bid Farewell to Her Longtime Pediatric Practice on Roosevelt Island.
Andrea Jackson is a talent management and acquisition professional. In our
community on Roosevelt Island, she is the Vice President of the Roosevelt
Island Senior Association.
Bobbie Slonevsky is vice president of the Roosevelt Island Historical Society
and writes and edits the digital publication, which is now in its sixth year. She
has unearthed and developed dozens of previously overlooked topics of
Roosevelt Island’s history. She hopes to expand their reach by compiling them
into a widely available book of “Roosevelt Island Vignettes.”
Honors for Jackson and Slonevsky were delayed from 2020 but no less significant.
Also, recently in Roosevelt Island News…
- Queens Subway and Far Rockaway Stabbings Spur Police InvestigationsQueens subway and Far Rockaway stabbings on September 30 prompted separate police investigations and community response after two fatal incidents disrupted daily routines.
- Fatal Stabbing on J Train at Woodhaven Boulevard Spurs Subway Safety Concerns in QueensA fatal stabbing on J train at Woodhaven Boulevard raises fresh subway safety concerns in Queens, as NYPD investigates and riders reflect on recent incidents.
- J and M Train Weekend Service Changes: What Riders Need to KnowJ and M train weekend service changes will impact riders for five weekends as crews replace elevated track switches. Here’s what to expect and how to prepare for modified schedules across Brooklyn and Queens.
- Coastal Flooding Disrupts Southeast Queens Streets and TransitCoastal flooding disrupted streets and transit across Southeast Queens as a fall nor’easter brought heavy rain and renewed calls for resilience and improved drainage.
- Nor’easter Brings Slow Streets and Transit Delays Across Queens and NYCAfter the nor’easter, slow streets and transit delays across Queens and NYC greeted commuters. Utility crews continued repairs as normal routines resumed Monday.
Introduce Yourself Again
On June 18, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation’s Real Estate Development Advisory Committee gathered to discuss ground leases, retail agreements and pieces of the west-side waterfront that had been waiting patiently for the government to remember them.
