Womens Contest

CAROL GORELICK
Mother, teacher, exceptional volunteer, tv host -  Carol Gorelick is all of these.  She is mom to 6 kids (2 of them Eagle Scouts) yet still teaches second grade in the NashuaSchool District and ReligiousSchool at Temple Beth Abraham.  And if that didn't keep her busy enough, she volunteers on the Nashua Strategic Planning Committee, School Union Representative as well as mentors student teachers.  When her brother was suffering a life-threatening kidney disease, she donated her kidney so he could live another 10 years.  She is truly an Outstanding Women in the education field and beyond and shares her love for reading with Public Access TV show to introduce students to reading.  We give an A+ to Carol Gorelick!

MAUREEN BEAUREGARD
Families in Transition (FIT) began as a program of the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund in 1991 with one facility and the capacity to provide transitional housing and support services to five women and their children. Today, FIT assists hundreds of single parents, children and adults. FIT has five residential building in Manchester and two in Concord. This unprecedented growth is thanks in large part to Maureen Beauregard, the founder and president of Families in Transition. In addition to providing safe affordable housing and comprehensive social services to individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, Maureen finds time to be active in the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, the NH Charitable Foundation and volunteer on the governing council of Housing Advocacy NH. Manchester is a better place with Outstanding Woman Maureen Beauregard around to help.

MADONNA CIOCCA
Upon retirement, most of us spend the time with a little volunteer work, relaxing and picking up some hobbies. Not Madonna Ciocca.  After spending almost 3 decades as a public school teacher in Concord, Madonna has become the consummate community volunteer. As a board member with the Capital Region Food program, she recruits hundreds of volunteers and prepares meals at the Open Door Community Kitchen.  While still an adjunct professor at both PlymouthState and SNHU, Madonna founded Family Literacy Day through the Granite State Literary Association, where 10,000 books are given to over 2000 people, all for no charge.  .  New Hampshire's children need outstanding women like Madonna Ciocca, a true literary champion. 

KAY SIDWAY
The Children's Place and Parent Education Center (TCP), was founded in 1978 by a group of parents and community professionals who saw a need in the Concord, NH area for educational and support services for families with children under the age of six years old. Kay Sidway was one of the founders and still at the helm 25 years later.  The Children Place offers childcare for young children, free parenting classes and free support for families and parents.  Kay is the mother of 4 daughters and 5 grandsons, a teacher, an educator and project director of TCP.  Kay is role model to all of the parents and volunteers, teaching part of the time and facilitating classes for at-risk families. Kay is to be commended for her dedication to growing happy, healthy families.

DEBORAH DESCENZA
Through hard work, dedication and perseverance,  Deborah DeScenza created a holistic, meaningful and satisfying environment for people who have autism or other development disabilities in creating  Farmsteads of New England.  Her dream (and more hard work!) continued when residential services began in 2009.  Farmsteads of NE was voted 2009 Business of the Year for making the community a better place and by giving back to the community.  Yankee Magazine named Deborah an Angel  Among Us.  We now commemorate Deborah for truly enhancing life for special needs people and their families.

PATRICIA GOODMAN
For many, a cancer diagnosis seems the beginning to an end.  For Pat Goodman, it was just a beginning.  She has made a significant contribution to the quality of life for women facing breast cancer and their families. As a survivor, she has volunteered with the American Cancer Society for 19 year in many capacities including Reach for Recovery.  Several years ago she became the state trainer.  She and the women she trains meet in person or via phone to newly diagnosed women. She began as a Reach for Recovery visitor and then started volunteering as soon as her own treatment was completed, even through the loss of her own husband.  We commend Pat for the countless hours and miles traveled in her support of cancer patients, survivors and those that love them.

ROSEMARIE BEAL
As a little girl it was her dream to become a teacher, but not a financial option when growing up in the projects.  But at age 49, Rosemarie Beal started going to night school while being employed as a teachers assistant.  In 1996, her dream finally came true.  She teaches kids in both the preschool and through her youth group work with mutual honesty and respect, as she does everything else in her life.  When her husband, a Pastor, got ill and has required numerous surgeries, she jumped into her role as Associate Pastor in full force, taking care of everything.  He praises her virtues most of all and without a doubt, Rosemarie is outstanding to many!

LINDA RILEY
Fifteen years ago her son Michael died due to a car accident.  Any mothers worst nightmare.  But Linda Riley to an extraordinary tragedy and turned it into an extraordinary was to honor his memory. Linda Riley is the founder and leader of the Manchester/Nashua Chapter of Compassionate Friends.  This  self-help mutual assistance organization offers friendship and understanding to families following the death of a child.  It is this shared traumatic experience that unites the members.  Linda has dedicated endless hours to the organization, from leading monthly meeting to assisting new members with information from agencies and everything in between with memorial events, walks and blood drives.  She also finds time to watch her 2 young grandchildren full time while their mother works.  We know somewhere up in heaven her son knows her has an outstanding mother in Linda Riley.

BETH D. DAVIDSON
As a Rabbi, you would expect to be a kind leader.  But Beth D Davidson goes above and beyond her daily jobs.  She is a compassionate, generous leader and opens her heart to assist people from all cultures, religions and backgrounds.  As president of the NH Clergy Association she helps foster a greater understanding among ALL religious groups.  As a teacher at the Temple Adath Yeshurun religious school, she encourages all students to work toward their potential.  As leader of Temple Adath Yeshurun, she has created a warm and welcoming environment and spends many days offering guidance and food assistance to anyone who needs it and does what she can to support the New Horizons food bank to support even more individual in Manchester.  On all levels, Beth is an outstanding leader, counselor, teacher and role model.

LIZABETH AUTH
Nursing is a tough field and its great to just be a nurse, but Lizabeth Auth is so much more.  As a full time professor at St Anselms College, she teaches and oversees students during their clinical rotation.  But she also finds time to work at the Emergency Room at CatholicMedicalCenter and always takes time to care about the physical and emotional aspect of each patients needs.  And while that would be exhausting enough, especially with 2 very talented and busy children, Liz volunteers her time and extensive nursing skills at Pats Peak Ski Area.  Tending from everything from a boo boo to full cardiac arrest with rescue removal down the mountain, he capacity is endless.  In so many ways, we are all so lucky to have Lizabeth Auth helping us when we need it.

SUSAN MESSINGER
When community involvement spans across  boards, committees, fund-raising, chairing events and co-owning 2 local businesses, you know you have a woman to be recognized.  Susan Messinger is the owner of Sweet Kathy’s Ice Cream Parlor (named after a friend who passed away from cancer) and is co-owner and manager of Main Street Dental, yet still does everything she possibly can for the community.  Just a sampling of her involvements includes PTA, Steering committee for the hometown parade, Road Race organizer, listed in Who’s Who of American Businesses and board member of Main StreetPlymouth. This outstanding woman was nominated as “one in a million” and we can see why.

LYN GIANCOTTI
While many moms do some volunteer work as well, Lyn Giancotti has gone above and beyond to help those in her community.  She is mom to 2 kids, one suffering from physical disabilities due to a stroke, but started a volunteer based group in her community called MOMMIES MOBIL MEALS.  She runs this group from a free website and the volunteers bring meals to families dealing with sickness, death, surgery, or new baby.  Lyn has the “need to feed” as her shirt says. She also writes for the TownsendTimes finding the positive in every story.  There is certainly a positive in Lyn’s story!

SHARYL GEISERT
At White Tiger Karate in Franklin, everyone is made to feel accepted no matter what special need they have.  This is Sharyl Geisert's mantra as she teaches children and adults to attain higher standards for themselves and those around them.  Sharyl also teaches the importance of giving back to the community by organizing charity events that support local organizations such as NH Hospice, St Jude’s Children’s Hospital and local food banks.  Sharyl also hosts a Halloween Hike on her own property to raise money for local families in need.  Even with a successful martial arts school, she still gives countless hours of free classes to help teens and women stay safe in many areas of their life.  As a teacher, mom, business woman and inspiration, Sharyl Geisert is a strong Outstanding Woman.

ANDREA GOLDBERG