This year’s recipient is Donna Seymour of Potsdam.

As one nominator wrote: “For 30 plus years, Donna has been tireless in her work for the rights of women and children. Anywhere childcare is discussed, Donna is in the middle of it.”

This award will be presented as part of a Sunday, June 4, service at the church, 3 ½ Main Street, at 10:30 a.m. All well-wishers are welcome to attend; a reception follows the service.

Beginning with service on the Potsdam Central School PTA, over the past 30 years she has served as Board Chair of the SLC Childcare Council; as representative on the Advisory Board of the Occupational Health Clinical Centers; and as regional representative for the Empire State Campaign for Child Care (ESCCC).

All are organizations that work to improve access to quality child care options, to promote workplace safety, living wages for childcare and elder care providers, and to provide resources to families, providers, community members, and employers to meet the early care and learning needs in the North Country.

Additionally, Donna is currently on the leadership team of the PowHer NY Coalition, a statewide network of individuals and organizations committed to accelerating economic equality for New York women and their families. She was active in the local chapter of the American Association of University Women and is currently on the Board of the League of Women Voters of SLC Chapter, which she helped to revive in 2009.

She has worked as a moderator for the educational “Conversations with Candidates” and regularly participates in “North Country Matters,” setting a standard for informed and balanced conversations about local issues.