“I’m so very pleased to announce this year’s New York State Assembly Women of Distinction Awards,” said Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara. “I am very proud of the great honor all of this year’s honorees have brought to our community by all of their achievements.”

2023 Honorees:

Jené Luciani Sena: Rotterdam resident, Jené Luciani Sena is the best-selling author of “The Bra Book,” “GiGi Gets A Bra,” and “Get It!,” which she co-authored with Jacqueline Laurita; she has been featured as an expert on national television shows, including The Today Show, The Wendy Williams Show, and Dr. Oz.

Ann Parillo: Schenectady native, Ann Parillo achieved great success during her long career in the medical field as a pharmacist, teaching college students and sitting on public health boards. Ann has also served as chair of the City of Schenectady’s Cable Commission and president of Schenectady Access Cable Council, as well as produced and hosted nearly 1,200 shows of “Capital Region Today TV”.

Heather Lent: Heather Lent is a businesswoman, chocolatier and community leader in the City of Schenectady. Heather serves as the vice president of the Jay Street Business Association, working with other small business owners to make Schenectady a more attractive shopping and dining destination for tourists and locals.

Aneesa Waheed: Aneesa Waheeda immigrated from India as a child to Schenectady. Aneesa is a chef, business mentor, speaker, social activist, owner of 4 locations of Tara Kitchen winning several awards and appearing on several national television shows and TEDx talks. She also recently opened a Moroccan-themed spa, Tara Hammam, and wrote the cookbook “Easy Moroccan Cookbook – Quick and Simple Mediterranean Recipes”.

Helen Malicki: 100-year-old Amsterdam native Helen Malicki overcame many obstacles throughout her life and reached a significant milestone many people dream of. In our community, Helen worked at the Chalmers factory on the South Side of the City of Amsterdam and at the General Electric Company in Schenectady, Helen lived on her own until she was 96 and often says that her secret to reaching her 100th birthday is to “just keep moving and don’t stop”.

Bernice Rivera: Bernice Rivera, daughter of immigrant parents from the Dominican Republic, is an education advocate who currently leads the Professional Learning for New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) Education & Learning Trust (ELT) with a focus on gender, racial equity, mental health, trauma and school violence. In the Schenectady City School District, she served as a secondary classroom teacher and then interim assistant principal before joining NYSUT. Bernice was elected to the Schenectady City School Board of Education in 2017, currently serving as its president.

Raquel Parisi: Raquel “Rocky” Parisi demonstrates her commitment to helping others through her service and leadership as a nurse, yoga teacher, public speaker, and volunteer in our community for Rocky Maureen’s Cure in Schenectady, “Paint the Town Teal” for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, Centro Civico’s foodbank, the Amen soup kitchen, and the City of Amsterdam’s Spring Cleanup. She helped establish the first military banner program in Amsterdam to honor those who have served our nation, continuing the city’s rich history of remembering local veterans. Rocky provides “Unstoppable” trauma resilience training to professionals who work with children and co-created a yoga teachers’ curriculum.

Basmattie Singh: Basmattie Singh was born in Port Mourant, Guyana and moved to Schenectady in 1999. Basmattie is a successful business owner in several different ventures in including a clothing store, Shreya’s Exclusive, Elegant Curtains and Singh West Indian Grocery in Mont Pleasant neighborhood of Schenectady.

Maya McNulty: Schenectady native, Maya McNulty is a successful businesswoman, author, advocate and patient-led researcher. Maya’s challenging battle with COVID-19 led her to establish the Covid Wellness Clinic and the Walking Warrior, which are each focused on supporting individuals and families living with Long COVID. Maya, CEO of UpTheBiz Marketing & Branding Agency, has worked with thousands of people for more than two decades, creating opportunities for entrepreneurs through her branding strategies, marketing expertise and many speeches and presentations.