Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara Women of Distinction Awards 2017 Honorees Betty Harper Dr. Vicma Ramos Erin Musto Sherain Rivera Carmel Patrick Emily Willey-Aulet
Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara Women of Distinction Awards Betty Harper Erin Musto Carmel Patrick Dr. Vicma Ramos Sherain Rivera Emily Willey-Aulet The remarkable women who make a difference throughout our region deserve to be recognized for their contributions. This year s Women of Distinction Awards honor outstanding women who are doing their part to make our community an even better place for all of us. Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara
Betty Harper Betty Harper was born in Dadeville, Alabama, on Feb. 15, 1949. In 1960, she joined her mother and stepfather in Albany, where she soon welcomed a baby sister, Bridgette. Betty later moved to South Jersey, and after 20 years, she returned to New York. She now works for the New York State Assembly Ways and Means Committee and is also very active within the Capital Region community. Betty is a devoted parishioner in the Mt. Olivet Missionary Baptist Church in Schenectady. Betty believes she has inherited her mother s loving qualities to reach out and help people. She is also a member of the Hughes Williams Helping Hands Committee, which is a small nonprofit that helps the community with fundraisers and donations. In addition, Betty is the co-chair of the Hamilton Hill Arts Center s Juneteenth Celebrations as they celebrate their ancestors at Vale Cemetery and hold an allday celebration at Schenectady s Central Park. Betty is the proud mother of three outstanding sons, Mark, Avery and Adrian, and a doting grandmother of three granddaughters, four grandsons and a great-grandson. She also has a beautiful circle of family and friends.
Erin Musto Erin Musto, a mother of three, experienced one of the greatest hardships a parent can go through when she lost her daughter Madeline in 2012. Madeline passed away five days after being diagnosed with DIPG, a rare inoperable brain tumor. In response, Erin and her family channeled their grief to create the Maddie s Mark Foundation, a nonprofit that helps families struggling with a devastating illness. Dedicated to helping these families experience their best days ever, the program has helped not only others, but also Erin s family, overcome and heal. Erin is an avid writer and devoted mother. She spends much of her time chasing around her daughters, Amelia and Lucy, as they grow, play and learn. Erin adamantly believes that her role as a mother has expanded her scope in life. Erin s passion for mothering and frequent writings have provided solace in the face of hardship and the work of Maddie s Mark continues to impact many families.
Carmel Patrick Carmel Patrick is the vice president of development at misci the Museum of Innovation and Science where she utilizes her more than 30 years of experience in nonprofit management. Before she came to misci, Carmel previously served as the executive director of development at Schenectady County Community College (SCCC) and as the chief development and external relations professional at the Schenectady Museum and Suits-Bueche Planetarium. She is also president of the Schenectady County Library board of trustees and a member of the Rotary Club of Schenectady, for which she was honored as the Rotarian of the Year in 2011. Carmel is a member of the YWCA of Northeastern New York s Nominating Committee and Schenectady County Human Rights Commission s Awards Selection Committee. She also gives lectures on nonprofit management, as well as on community service and career development, at local high schools and colleges. Carmel lives in Schenectady with her husband, William, stepsons, Caleb and Tarin, and their dog, Louis.
Dr. Vicma Ramos Dr. Vicma Ramos became the superintendent of the Greater Amsterdam School District in September 2016. A native of Puerto Rico, Ramos taught Spanish in New Jersey for seven years before moving to Rochester with her husband in 1989. She was an educator and administrator in the Rochester City School District until coming to Amsterdam. In addition to teaching Spanish, she served as acting director of the foreign languages/major achievement program, assistant principal, principal and executive director of the Rochester City School District. Dr. Ramos has a doctorate of education in executive leadership from St. John Fisher College, a master s degree from the State University of New York College at Brockport and a bachelor s degree in multilingual education from Florida State University. In 2015, she was a fellow in the Strategic Data Project at Harvard University. She has received awards in leadership from the Rochester City School District and as a doctoral recipient. Dr. Ramos has two children of whom she is very proud. Her son is completing his master s while playing professional minor league baseball, and her daughter just graduated from Rutgers Universitywith a degree in engineering.
Sherain Rivera Sherain Rivera moved to Schenectady in 1989 with her mother, Laverne. She attended elementary school in Schenectady, before attending St. Anne s in Albany for high school. At St. Anne s, Sherain attended a BOCES program and successfully graduated from both in 1997. She had her first son in 1998 and worked in home care from 1999 to 2007. In 2008, Sherain married her husband, Jacob. In 2014, Sherain s life was turned upside down when she and her six children became homeless. Through hard work and dedication, Sherain persevered. The experience cultivated her passion for community service and inspired her to begin Raindrops Closet. Raindrops Closet is a nonprofit that supports struggling families through donations of clothing and household items. The Schenectady-based program helps families transition out of homelessness so that they can rebuild their lives and create a better future for themselves, much like Sherain did for her family.
Emily Willey-Aulet Emily Willey-Aulet is the founder of the Emily Willey Foundation, which organizes toy, winter gear, food and school supply drives to benefit children in Schenectady. The foundation also puts together a Breakfast with Santa event, summer reading programs, community cleanup initiatives and clothing drives for families in need. The foundation s motto is creating a brighter future, one youth at a time, which Emily certainly lives up to. In the past six years, the Emily Willey Foundation has served over 5,000 children. Through her work, Emily seeks to instill hope in children born into difficult circumstances and let them know that they are valued and supported. Further, Emily works as a supervisor for Janitronics and is an active volunteer with organizations like the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the American Heart Association. She lives with her husband and two wonderful children.