Pictured: Members of the JLB 2023-24 Board of Directors and Management Team. (L-R) Chrissy Martino-Rindler, Janice Duarte, Heather Scholes, Amy Berg, Melanie O’Sullivan, Jennifer Carella, Victoria Thiessen, Olivia Cherundolo, Michelle Schoulder, Diana Deichert, Kelly Shine, Jamie Schwartz. Photo by Aiko Austin.

By Victoria Thiessen, VP of Communications, Junior League of Bronxville

July 12, 2023: The Junior League of Bronxville (JLB) is proud to have celebrated “A Year for the Record Books.” As has been done for years, the ceremonial transition of leadership took place on May 31, 2023, with the passing of the gavel, and the JLB honored its impressive recipients of the Women of Distinction awards.

Throughout the year, the League’s leadership and members remained committed to the JLB’s vision of “Mobilizing Women to Ignite & Inspire Community Change.” Outgoing 2022-2023 President, Kristin Smith, shared, “As the Junior League of Bronxville celebrates our 75th anniversary, we are thrilled to have introduced two new outreach initiatives this year, the JLB Joyful Closet and the Book Nook, continuing our long tradition of the JLB responding to needs in the community.”

The following women were selected as recipients of the League’s annual recognitions:

President’s Award: Amy Brown, 2022-2023 Community Outreach Vice President, was selected as the recipient of the President’s Award for her continued dedication to our community and passion for helping others.

Sustained Leadership Award: Jennifer Carella, 2022-2023 President-Elect, received this award, as selected by the Active members of the League. Since joining in 2016, she has been in many leadership roles, including Fundraising Vice President, Executive Vice President and Treasurer.

Sustainer of the Year Award: Julie McNally Daher, Past President 2017-2018, was selected for her impact in both the community at-large and the JLB. Julie is currently the Development Administrator at Concordia Conservatory where she uses her JLB non-profit training to bring music education to a wide group of students.

First Year Active Award: Annie McArdle received this award, as selected by the Active members. She took part in the 2021-2022 Provisional Program and since then has stepped up in every sense.

Nine members received B.E.M.T.Y. awards. The title of these awards is rooted in the towns the JLB represents: Bronxville, Eastchester, Mount Vernon, Tuckahoe & Yonkers. The span of the League is great, but what is even greater are the members that hail from these communities. Members had the opportunity to nominate a peer - someone they felt deserved recognition. The following women were the shining stars whom the League was lucky to count as their own in a year of celebration and new initiatives:

● Amy Berg
● Brigitte Birrer
● Lindsay Johnson
● Chrissy Martino-Rindler
● Angela Neil
● Michelle Schoulder
● Jamie Schwartz
● Victoria Thiessen
● Aubri Veneruso

After all these women have accomplished, the JLB cannot wait to see what they contribute in the years to come!

A special element of the Annual Meeting agenda is when the Board of Directors votes on the eligibility for membership of the women in the Provisional program. This year a group of seventeen individuals attended a fall recruitment event and then successfully completed a full year of outreach, fundraising, and operational activities.

Please join the JLB in congratulating its newest Active members: Nelda Bazil, Brigitte Birrer, Alison Brondeau, Caitlin DeFilippo, Claudia Flynn, Margaret Geagan, Hilary Hughes, Ali Koutsis, Monica Malpass, Caitlin McNally, Christine Muaddi, Christina Provenzano, Avril Roberts, Jenna Shen, Monica Suriano, Patricia Wahl, and Alley Williams.

Finally, a true definition of dedication is that a member of the JLB must serve a minimum of seven years of Active service before the League provides its members with the option to move into Sustainer status - something more akin to an alumni status at a college or university.

The JLB was honored to induct the following five new Sustainers effective July 1, 2023: Susan Gordon, Meredith Grant, Lindsay Johnson, Betsy Putnam, and Danielle Spring. These women were pivotal to the League’s success during their Active years and will undoubtedly make their mark in the larger community in the years to come.

After the Annual Meeting, the JLB closed fiscal and League year on June 30. As the calendar turned to July 1, the League also welcomed the newest slate of leaders. According to incoming President 2023-2024, Jennifer Carella, “The JLB is truly fortunate to have women with this sense of commitment and care for the community within its ranks. It will truly be my honor to serve as their President.”

The members of the 2023-2024 Board of Directors are:

Jennifer Carella, President
Jamie Schwartz, President-Elect
Kelly Shine, Executive Vice President (VP)
Janice Duarte, Board Secretary
Chrissy Martino-Rindler, Treasurer
Melanie O’Sullivan, Nominating Chair
Diana Deichert, Sustainer Chair

The members of the 2023-2024 Management Team are:

Kelly Shine, Executive VP
Victoria Thiessen, Communications VP
Amy Berg, Community Outreach VP
Heather Scholes, Finance & Data VP
Michelle Schoulder, Fundraising VP
Olivia Cherundolo, Membership VP
Jinja Cuevas, Placement VP

If you are a female resident of or work in Bronxville, Eastchester, Mount Vernon, Tuckahoe, or Yonkers you are welcome to join the JLB at a free and open-to-all-women informational recruitment event on the evening of Thursday, October 5, 2023, in Bronxville. Whether you choose to continue on after that, or just have a night out with potential new contacts, it is worth an evening’s investment of your time. Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

The Junior League of Bronxville, New York, Inc. is an organization of women whose mission is to advance women’s leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration, and training. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. Please visit JLBronxville.org to learn more about the 501(c)(3) organization.