BOSTON — Six local women were recognized at the State House Friday morning for their leadership, influence, and lasting positive impact on their communities.
Scores shuffled into the State House’s Great Hall of Flags to welcome the Commonwealth Heroines Class of 2023. Of the 131 women nominated by their local representatives to be named Commonwealth heroines, three are from Lynn, and three are from Peabody, Lynnfield, and Marblehead.
Massachusetts Senior Action Council (MSAC) Vice President Rosa Bentley, of Lynn, was nominated by state Reps. Peter Capano, Daniel Cahill, Jenny Armini, and state Sen. Brendan Crighton, the city’s delegation, for her lifelong work as an advocate for the vulnerable.
Bentley led the charge in rolling back the fare for the MBTA’s RIDE program. She attended every MBTA Board of Directors meeting in Boston and every Department of Transportation meeting across the Commonwealth in a campaign that marked the first time in history an MBTA fare was reduced after being raised. During the pandemic, Bentley also went to the State House every Tuesday to advocate for a Medicare Savings Program expansion. Her advocacy resulted in more than 80,000 seniors securing benefits.
“I was happy to nominate Rosa,” Capano said. “She has been an activist for years. She’s done a lot for our community.”
Bentley said she felt honored to be named a heroine, but added that her team at MSAC deserved recognition for their advocacy work.
“I’m grateful to Pete Capano for the nomination, but I would like to thank [MSAC Community Organizer] Pam Edwards and the Mass Senior Action. They are how I have done a lot of the work,” Bentley said.
The delegation also nominated Kecia Rideout, of Lynn, as a heroine for her organization Chase the Chill, which collects warm clothing and accessories for distribution to those in need during cold months. As a knitter and crocheter, Rideout organized a group of crafters who make garments by hand to donate.
Liliana Patino, of Lynn, was nominated by state Rep. Joseph McGonagle for her work as director of community engagement at the Eliot Family Resource Center.
The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW) described Patino as the organization’s “beating heart,” providing career, language, housing, legal, educational, and child-care resources to those in her community who need it most.
“Liliana would give the shirt off her back to someone in need,” the MCSW wrote. “She makes the world a brighter, safer place.”
The delegation also nominated Sustainable Marblehead Clean Energy and Public Policy Committee Chair Eileen Mathieu for her extensive leadership as a climate activist and her role in creating Marblehead’s Net Zero Roadmap — a detailed plan to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in the town before 2040.
“She’s remarkable,” Armini said. “She’s the heart and soul of Sustainable Marblehead.”
When asked how it felt to be named a Commonwealth heroine, Mathieu said it was an honor, but that she could not have accomplished what she did without the help of other strong women leaders.
“I’ve only been retired since 2016. Everything I’ve done, I’ve learned through working with other really wonderful women who have been doing it a lot longer,” she said.
Karen Nascembeni, of Lynnfield, was nominated by state Rep. Bradley Jones Jr. for her work as a performing-arts advocate and the general manager of the North Shore Music Theatre.
Serving as chair of the Lynnfield Historical Commission, Nascembeni organized a relaunch of the town’s Country Store in 2021 after it had shut down a year prior at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s inspiring to see so many talented women who work behind the scenes to make the world and our community a better place,” Nascembeni said.
Beginning her career with the Peabody Housing Authority in 1989, Executive Director Anne Marie Burns was nominated by state Rep. Thomas Walsh.
The MCSW wrote that Burns’ dedication to the people of Peabody made her “the embodiment of a Commonwealth heroine.”
