As March, which was Women’s History Month, was winding down, Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano presented Women of Distinction Awards to six Yonkers women who were selected for achievements that improved the lives of others in the community and whose impact has changed Yonkers for better. The presentation ceremony took place at City Hall.
“These women have exemplified outstanding achievement and leadership in Yonkers, setting an example for other women who aspire to success,” Spano said.
Honored were Yonkers Detective Vionett Martinez, Sister Mary Alice Reamer, Yolanda “Loni” Shinault, Meiling Macias-Toro, Phylisha Villanueva, and Hope Hollinsworth-Coaxum.
Vionett Martinez was hired by the Yonkers Police Department in 2006 as a patrol officer. She subsequently served as a recruiter, a Field Training Officer, and a Field Intelligence Officer. In 2018, she became a Yonkers Detective assigned to the Major Case Squad. In 2019, Martinez began to work on cold homicides alongside the now-retired Detective John Geiss. After Geiss retired in May 2022, Martinez was assigned to the Cold Case Unit and is now the city’s Cold Case Detective. In honoring her, Spano pointed out her pattern of reaching out to members of the community and having a commitment to their well-being.
Sister Mary Alive Reamer has been the principal of St. John the Baptist School in Yonkers since 1984. She is the longest serving catholic school principal in Yonkers and the New York Archdiocese. In addition to teaching at St. Joseph’s, Sr. Mary Alice taught at Good Counsel Elementary, the Academy of Our Lady of Good Counsel and Kennedy Catholic High Schools. A scholarship was established in her honor. She was praised for passion that extends beyond the traditional classroom.
Yolanda “Loni” Shinault is a member of the Kingdom Christian Cultural Center where she has contributed significantly to the community by supporting teen mothers through the church group Loving, Lifting, Encouraging Girls Over Obstacles (LLEGOO), assisting local pantries, and establishing All Access Yonkers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing scholarships and resources to seniors, teens, and adolescents. In collaboration with other community-based organizations, she has worked to promote spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical well-being. Her vision is to cultivate a robust nonprofit network of partners in Yonkers that is committed to nurturing the community’s growth.
Meiling Macias-Toro is an advertising and media expert known for producing award-winning commercials and content for Fortune 500 brands. Her career includes working at Conill Advertising/Saatchi & Saatchi, Rapp Collins Worldwide, Siboney Advertising, and The Vidal Partnership. She produced the award-winning Off-Broadway play “Frida Kahlo: Long Live Life,” which won Best Biographical Show at the 2018 United Solo Festival in New York City. She formerly was president of 100 Hispanic Women in Westchester County, supporting young Latinas with scholarships to attend college, develop leadership skills, and promote career equity. Additionally, she has helped organize fundraisers to support research aimed at finding a cure for DIPG, a rare and fast-growing brain tumor that affects children.
Phylisha Villanueva, who was appointed as the Westchester County Poet Laureate, has been involved in working with schools, senior recreational centers and the Westchester County jail system in arts and poetry. She also volunteers with major organizations as a way to give back and make a difference.
Hope Hollinsworth-Coaxum is a long-time resident of Yonkers who co-founded two community-based organizations: Hope Healing and Growth and The Mothers’ 2016. As the president of the Gold Star Mothers of Yonkers and Westchester County, she supports veterans and their families. She is a novelist, playwright, screenwriter, producer and director. Her works address social causes, including homelessness, domestic abuse and child abuse.
