(Long Island, NY) The Suffolk County Legislature under the leadership of Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory held the first county-wide reception for each Woman of Distinction from all 18 legislative districts and announced the county-wide winner, Gail Lynch Bailey.
“Is is a great honor for me to hold this reception for Ms. Lynch-Bailey and the 17 Women of Distinction from other Legislative Districts,” said Presiding Officer Gregory. “All 18 of these Women of Distinction have incredible resumes and extraordinary records of service to their communities and all of Suffolk County.”
County-wide winner Gail Lynch-Bailey is from Legislator Sarah Anker’s District 6. She was chosen by the Suffolk County Women’s Advisory Commission.
“It is my distinct honor to recognize Mrs. Gail Lynch-Bailey for the 2016 Suffolk County Woman of Distinction award in recognition of her outstanding leadership and tireless volunteer efforts toward improving her community,” said Legislator Anker. “Throughout her years as a community volunteer, Gail has been at the forefront of many successful community projects, including the effort to enhance Bartlett Pond Park in Middle Island. As a result of her selfless volunteerism, Gail has inspired and educated countless other volunteers to join in and lend a hand in improving their neighborhoods. Gail is an exceptional example of an individual who is truly dedicated to their community and is greatly deserving of this honor.”
Ms. Lynch-Bailey is President of the Longwood Public Library’s Board of Trustees, The Longwood Alliance, and the Middle Island Civic Association. She is the past president of the Longwood PTA Council, co-founder of the Middle Country Road Task Force, and member of the Town of Brookhaven Accessory Apartment Review Board.
For the past several years, Ms. Lynch-Bailey has worked to enhance Bartlett Pond Park in Middle Island, including the dedication of six granite veterans’ monuments, the restoration of the park’s invasive-ridden western section and hiking trail, the restoration of the one-room schoolhouse, and the creation of the Longwood Victory community garden. Ms. Lynch-Bailey also coordinates the annual Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Pearl Harbor Day ceremonies at Bartlett Pond Park’s Veterans Walk.
In 1999, she received the New York State PTA Distinguished Service Award. In 2003 she received the St. Pius X Award for 10 years of service as the catechist at St. Frances Cabrini RC Church in Coram. In 2011, she was honored as the first female recipient of the Longwood Board of Education’s Carl Verdi Community Pride Award. She is a successful businesswoman as the co-owner of a profitable, portable school photography business with her husband, Frank.
The other Women of Distinction, all chosen by the Suffolk County Women’s Advisory Commission, are:
- District 1, Legislator Al Krupski; Cathy Woods
- District 2, Legislator Bridget Fleming; Dorothy Malik-Atkinson
- District 3, Legislator Kate Browning; April Coppola
- District 4, Legislator Tom Muratore; Phyllis Hill
- District 5, Legislator Kara Hahn; Cynthia Barnes
- District 6, Legislator Sarah Anker; Gail Lynch-Bailey and (County-wide Woman of Distinction
- District 7, Legislator Robert Calarco; Margaret Bermel (Deceased)
- District 8, Legislator William J. Lindsay III; Barbara Fitzpatrick
- District 9, Legislator Monica R. Martinez; Sister Kathleen Carberry
- District 10, Legislator Thomas Cilmi; Kathy Koenigdorf
- District 11, Legislator Thomas Barraga; Donna Periconi
- District 12, Legislator Leslie Kennedy; Maria Camassa
- District 13, Legislator Robert Trotta; Rose Mangogna
- District 14, Legislator Kevin J. McCaffrey; Michele Insinga
- District 15, Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory; Phyllis Henry
- District 16, Legislator Steve Stern; Ellen Hershkin
- District 17, Legislator Lou D’Amaro; Susan Friedman
- District 18, Legislator William Spencer; Alicia Lawrence
