State Assemblyman Daniel Norber hosted his first Women of Distinction event on Sunday, Sept. 21, honoring seven women across the district for their positive impact on their communities.
“Their commitment to service is a testament to the strength of our district,” Norber said. “It was a privilege to present them with Assembly proclamations and recognize their tireless efforts to make our neighborhoods a great place to live.”
Norber hopes that by highlighting those who are active in their communities, he will help inspire others to get involved, he said.
“You don’t have to be an elected official or in politics at all. We want people to be a part of the community. We want people to get involved,” he said. “We want people to say exactly what they feel about the issues that we’re all dealing with every day. So this was a very important event.”
Rather than using specific criteria, Norber focused on people who made an impact in various ways, he said, resulting in honorees with a wide range of careers and experiences.
“It ended up being a networking event because all these women from different walks of life and their different backgrounds are coming together with one common cause, which was our community on Long Island,” he said. “I think what everybody has in common is that we all care deeply. Everybody puts in their effort any way they can.”
The honorees were Alina Uzilov, co-founder of the NYC Podiatry Center of Excellence and president of the Roslyn Country Club Civic Association; Jeanette Frisina, publisher of MarketplacePublication.com and head of the New Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce’s marketing committee; Melanie Dunbar, development manager at the Standpoint Preserve Conservancy; Christine Panzeca, environmental advocate and certified public accountant; Denise Paredes, co-president of Advocacy for Gifted and Talented Education (AGATE); Antonietta Manzi, co-president of the Manhasset Chamber of Commerce and vice president of the Tower Foundation of Manhasset; and Dr. Jeannine L. Weiss, pediatric dentist and U.S. Navy Reserve officer.
Panzeca said she was “extremely honored” to be nominated.
“This is never anything I ever imagined as I started advocating for the health and safety of our community,” she said. “The goal is to educate residents of what developers are planning for our communities as well as help our local officials hear both sides of the story.”
Panzeca said she shares the honor with other residents who also care about her health and safety concerns.
“I feel like this recognition is shared with everybody who shows up every day, everybody who’s doing the research, everyone who is out there advocating, sharing information and teaming together,” she said. “The most important thing about community is teamwork.”
Panzeca credited the event for connecting people who are involved in their towns.
“A few of us have exchanged numbers, and we plan on getting together and discussing some of the shared issues that all of our communities are facing,” she said.
Norber credited State Sen. Steven Rhoads for inspiring him to host the event. Rhoads has hosted “Women of Distinction” annually over the last three years, the most recent being on Sept. 18.
Norber was sworn in Jan. 1. He is the first member of the minority Republican Party in the Assembly to represent the 16th District in more than 50 years.
