2023 Commonwealth Heroines Celebration

We are excited to announce that the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women is hosting the 20th annual Commonwealth Heroines Celebration on Friday, June 23rd, 2023. The Commonwealth Heroines initiative identifies and honors extraordinary women from across the state. We are asking legislators to play a special role by partnering with us to identify the 2023 Class of Commonwealth Heroines.

What is the Commonwealth Heroines Celebration?

The Commonwealth Heroines Celebration is an opportunity to recognize the women who don’t always make the news but who are truly making a difference in their communities, businesses, or volunteer endeavors. We rely on legislators to nominate incredible women in their districts for their contributions to their community and the Commonwealth. 

Commonwealth Heroines: Class of 2023

Join us on June 23, 2023 to celebrate this year's incredible class of Commonwealth Heroines. 

Each year the Commission partners with state legislators to identify women who make outstanding contributions to their organizations and in their communities. Each legislator is encouraged to submit one woman from their constituency as a means of recognizing their invaluable efforts and extraordinary acts of service, who are making a big difference in their communities but not necessarily making the news.

The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW) will be celebrating the 20th Annual Commonwealth Heroines Class of 2023 on Friday, June 23, 2023, at the Massachusetts Statehouse in the Great Hall of Flags. Opening remarks will be made by MCSW Chairwoman Dr. Sarah Glenn-Smith, followed by a special recognition of all 125 honorees.

“The Commonwealth Heroines are women who don’t make the news, but make all the difference in their communities,” said MCSW Chairwoman Dr. Sarah Glenn-Smith. “Thousands of women in every community across the Commonwealth perform unheralded acts on a daily basis that make our homes, neighborhoods, cities, and towns better places to live. Commonwealth Heroines use their time, talent, spirit, and enthusiasm to enrich the lives of others in their community. They are mentors, volunteers, and innovators - they are the glue that keeps a community together.”

We are proud to announce the following women as this year’s Commonwealth Heroines Class of 2023 and look forward to publicly recognizing them at our event on Friday, June 23nd, 2023: 

Melinda Alexander of Milton

Amy Barrett of East Bridgewater

Paulina Bastidas Yale of Revere

Rosa Bentley of Lynn

Anne Bergen of Franklin

Karen Blais of Auburn

Lee Blake of New Bedford

Mary Boyd of Bolton

Lara Brait of Marshfield

Julie Beennan of North Easton

Debora Bridges of Amherst

Franceana Brown of Springfield

Karen Buck of Malden

Anne Marie Burns of Peabody

Roberta Cameron of Medford

Maritza Cedeno of Leominster

Becky Coletta of Pembroke

Gay Corey of Dracut

Stephanie Crawford of Canton

Mary Cringan of Fitchburg

Maribel Cruz of Fitchburg

Bridget Curley of Linwood

Kristie Dean of West Bridgewater

Norieliz DeJesus of Chelsea

Justine DeOliveira of Edgartown

Mary Dionne of Springfield

Kathleen DiPasqua-Egan of Hanson

Kathleen Dunn of Plymouth

Terri Evans of Natick

Julie Fenn of Lexington

Maria Ferreira-Bedard of Fall River

Donna Flannery of Spencer

Joyce Flynn of South Yarmouth

Erin Forbush of North Adams

Tracy Fuller of Haverhill

Ellen Panarese Gibson of Newton

Sandra Giroux of North Billerica

Anabela Gomes of Brighton

Barbara Govoni of Hampden

Kavita M. Goyal of Andover

Amanda Grow of Norwood

Rev. Myrlande P. Guillaume-DesRosiers of Everett

Heather Hamilton of Brookline

Jeannie Hebert of Whitinsville

Karen Hinds of East Falmouth

Lisa Howard of Winthrop

Janet Jameson of Watertown

Shantell Jeter of Brighton

Dr. Jacqueline Johnson of Springfield

Kimberlee Johnson of Woburn

Robin Jorgensen of Malden

Kaye Kelly of Franklin

Stella Ko of Acton

Kathleen Kreatz of Medford

Vedna Lacombe-Heywood of Plymouth

Lori LaFrance of Ipswich

Chartis Langmaid Tebbetts of Cohasset

Erin LeBlanc of Millis

Diane Legg of Amesbury

Helen Lemoine of Framingham

Amy Shelter Less of Newton

Anika Lopes of Amherst

Enilda Lovo of East Boston

Katie Macdonald of Taunton

Stephanie Marchetti of Ashburnham

Lynn Margherio of Cambridge

Jenn Martin of Waban

Eileen Mathieu of Marblehead

Shawna McCloskey of Andover

Joan Medeiros of Fall River

Christine Menard of Harwich

Kristin Michel of Gloucester

Wendy Mickel of Westborough

Robin Joyce Miller of Mills

Sherri Minch of Plainville

Janice Mitchell of Holden

Lili Mitchell of Ipswich

Carla Monteiro of Dorchester

Vivien Morris of Mattapan

Julia Murphy of Boston

Beth Murray of Shrewsbury

Juliet Najjumba of Waltham

Karen Nascembeni of Lynnfield

Heidi Nortonsmith of Northampton

Carolyn Panofsky of Rehoboth

Maria Partida of Nantucket

Michelle Pateras of Quincy

Liliana Patino of Lynn

Debra Peczka DiGiulio of Revere

Carolyn Perkins of Groton

Domenica Perrone of Worcester

Sharon Potter of Westport

Suzanne Ranieri of Bellingham

Mary Redington of Berlin

Patti Rego of Fall River

Karen Riani of Holden

April Ricci of Hyde Park

Susan Riccio of Methuen

Kecia Rideout of Lynn

Kris Rodolico of Melrose

Anne Rousseau of Jamaica Plain

Karen Rousseau, PhD, RN of Chicopee

Sue Rushfirth of Sudbury

Liz Sandemann of Medfield

Patricia Sanon of Brockton

Lori Scales of Attleboro

Fran Schofield of Brewster

Jan Singer of Watertown

Lura Smith of Lowell

Christina St. Onge of Methuen

Mary Steele of Norton

Kennedy Steiner of Beverly

Emily Teller of Westford

Stacey Thompson of Lowell

Alanna Thompson of Lakeville

Susan Trotta Clark of Milford

Erin Truex of Salem

Cynthia Villanueva of Framingham

Marissa Walsh of South Boston

Susan Webb of Wellesley

Heather White of Westfield

Jeanne Widmer of Belmont

Susann Wilkinson of Somerville

Alma Wright of Dorchester

How can YOU help?

The MCSW respectfully requests that each legislator recommend one female constituent to represent her community and be honored as a 2023 Commonwealth Heroine. All Commonwealth Heroines will be invited to attend a ceremony on June 23, 2023, at the State House in Boston. More details will follow regarding the day’s schedule. 

We hope you can take the time to help us recognize a Commonwealth Heroine in your community (who has not yet been previously honored and is not a State House employee or family member). 

Next Steps:

1. Learn more by reading our FAQs here.
2. To make a submission, please complete this nomination form by Friday, March 31, 2023. 

*Note that all information may be used publicly. We ask that you fully complete the nomination form; please do not share this link with others. 

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to the MCSW at MCSW@mass.gov.

Thank you in advance for your support in celebrating exceptional women across the Commonwealth. Legislators can nominate a woman here.