The Junior League of Bronxville's Annual Transition
Members of the JLB 2025-26 Board of Directors and Management Team. Left to Right - Elaine Harris-Whalen, Meredith Dixon, Amy Berg, Christina Provenzano, Victoria Thiessen, Kelly Shine, Gladys Girimonti (Photo by Narrative View Media.)
By Nadia Mondésir, VP of Communications, Bronxville Junior League
Sept. 24, 2025: The Junior League of Bronxville (JLB) is proud to have celebrated its 77th Year. As has been done for years, the ceremonial transition of leadership took place on May 29, 2025, with the passing of the gavel, and the JLB honored its impressive recipients of the Women of Distinction Awards.
Outgoing President Jamie Schwartz focused on developing leadership skills and empowering women by organizing presentations on overcoming daily challenges, building resilience, and reframing problems to find creative, effective solutions. In closing her successful year, she passed on the role to Kelly Shine.
As the JLB embarks on its new service year, we would like to recognize those members who contributed to a year of purposeful impact and remained committed to the JLB’s vision of “Mobilizing Women to Ignite & Inspire Community Change.”
The following women were selected as recipients of the League’s annual recognitions:
-Jennifer Carella, President’s Award
-Melanie O’Sullivan, Sustained Leadership Award
-Lindsay Johnson, Sustainer of the Year Award
-Elaine Harris-Whalen, First Year Active Award
Six members received B.E.M.T.Y. Awards. These awards' titles are rooted in the towns the JLB represents: Bronxville, Eastchester, Mount Vernon, Tuckahoe & Yonkers. The span of the League is great, but what is even more significant are the members that hail from these communities. Members could 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:
Claudia Flynn, The Trailblazing Team Player, has led our Membership Council with courage and creativity all while bringing fresh perspectives and fearless energy.
Taylor Gari, The Palm Paradise Powerhouse, who completely reimagined this year’s Bids to Benefit, infusing it with a bold and delightful theme that made every detail pop. She didn’t just meet her fundraising goals – she sailed past them with style, precision, and her signature positivity.
Heather Scholes, The Calm Behind the Calculations as our Finance & Data Vice President, keeps the wheels turning and the numbers right. For the last two years, Heather has been the calm in the storm, the detail master, and the financial foundation of our League.
Liz Sheehan, The Brilliant Beacon received our first BEMTY Ovation Award for lighting up every room (and meeting) with joyful positivity and purpose.
Victoria Thiessen, The Editor-in-Chic was unstoppable in delivering creativity, consistency and connection to every newsletter ensuring that our members stayed informed and inspired. Always on time, always above and beyond, Victoria’s steady presence and eye for detail helped our message shine.
Diane Turner, The Hands-on Hero is the definition of “boots on the ground”. Diane shows us what true community impact looks like by rolling up her sleeves and showing up always, ready to work and always smiling.
After all these women have already accomplished, the JLB cannot wait to see what they contribute in the years to come!
A special highlight of the League’s year is the Board of Directors’ vote on eligibility for membership in the Provisional program. We are proud to recognize a meaningful milestone for several individuals who joined us through a fall recruitment event and successfully completed their Provisional training. Through their outreach, fundraising, and operational involvement, they demonstrated dedication and readiness for Active membership. These individuals were officially voted in at the Board of Directors’ Meeting this past January. Please join the JLB in congratulating its newest Active members: Diamond Clay, Amanda Darrach, Nora Djanev, Jessica Doolan, Amanda Gentile, Qi Gu, Caroline Harlin, Jennifer Lally, Shauna Llamas, Clare McGrath, T. Nicole Merritt, Lara Phillips, Sherri Stanley, Jillian Tamarazzo, Mellissa Villalba, and Christa Youngerman.
Finally, a true definition of dedication is that a JLB member must serve at least seven years of Active service before the League allows its members to move into Sustainer status - something more akin to an alumnae status at a college or university. The JLB was honored to induct the following six new Sustainers effective July 1, 2025: Jennifer Carella, Angelina Lewis, Melanie O’Sullivan, Jamie Powell Schwartz, Grace Smith, and Kristin Smith.
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 the fiscal and League year on June 30. As the calendar turned to July 1, the League welcomed the newest leader slate. According to incoming 2025-26 President Kelly Shine, “This leadership team is an incredible group of women who bring a thoughtful mix of experience, energy, and fresh ideas. Their leadership will strengthen the Junior League of Bronxville’s commitment to making meaningful and lasting contributions throughout our community.
The members of the 2025-2026 Board of Directors are:
Kelly Shine, President
Victoria Thiessen, President-Elect
Christina Provenzano, Executive Vice President
Amy Berg, Board Secretary
Beth Atsalis, Treasurer
Jinja Cuevas, Nominating Chair
Susan Gordon, Sustainer Chair
The members of the 2025-2026 Management Team are:
Christina Provenzano, Executive Vice President
Nadia Mondésir, Communications VP
Meredith Dixon, Community Outreach VP
Caitie Clarke, Finance & Data VP
Elaine Harris-Whalen, Fundraising VP
Gladys Girimonti, Membership 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 October 7 in Bronxville. Whether you continue after that or just have a night out with potential new contacts, it is worth an evening’s investment of your time. Please email
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.
