Marcia Cooper, Laurel Farnsworth, and Teresa Gentile Sauro are among 145 women across the state to be named 2026 Commonwealth Heroines by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women on June 24 for their “outstanding contributions to their organizations and in their communities.” They were nominated by State Representative Greg Schwartz, Amy Sangiolo, and John Lawn, respectively.
Ruthanne Fuller and Katherine Gergen Barnett, MD have been appointed to the board of FamilyAid, which cited their relevant experience:
- Former Mayor Fuller “championed affordable and diverse housing, strengthened public transit infrastructure and prioritized equity and opportunity for vulnerable residents. [She] was a strong advocate for FamilyAid’s Family Navigation Center and Annex, and advanced two-generation strategies to support families in need. She also launched Newton Thrive to promote economic mobility and implementing full-day kindergarten for the first time in Newton’s history.”
- Dr. Barnett is “Vice Chair of Primary Care Innovation and Transformation in the Department of Family Medicine at Boston Medical Center, an Associate Professor at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, a recent Associate at Harvard’s Center for Primary Care, and a Health Innovators Fellow at the Aspen Institute. …she focuses on engaging community partners to increase health and wellness and address medical distrust in traditionally marginalized communities.”
Rosa Buffone (founder of LGBTQ+ Newton), Terry Williams (who helped establish LGBTQ+ Newton), Jaclyn Norton (Executive Aide to the Mayor), and Holly Ryan (former City Councilor and LGBTQ+ liaison for City of Newton, co-founder of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, and current member of the Democratic State Committee) are among the inaugural recipients of the Commonwealth Pride Award, presented on June 17 in a ceremony at the Statehouse hosted by the LGBTQ+ Legislative Caucus. They were nominated by State Representatives John Lawn, Amy Sangiolo, and Greg Schwartz, and State Senator Cynthia Creem, respectively.
Greg Reibman, President & CEO of the Charles River Regional Chamber, received a Community Leadership Award from the Jewish Alliance for Law & Social Action (JALSA) at their annual meeting June 23.
Maeve Vallely Bartlett is joining Suuberg & Durand Environmental Strategies as a senior advisor leading the firm’s expansion into the transportation sector. The firm focuses on strategic matters including environmental permitting and government relations. Previously she was vice president and senior advisor for the clean energy economy at AECOM, where she advised clients on energy transitions, electrifying the transportation sector, transit initiatives, sustainability programs, and climate resilience. She was Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs in the Deval Patrick administration and has also chaired the boards of the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.
Newton Public Schools (NPS) Asst. Superintendent for Human Resources Joany C. Santa, Ed.D. and NPS METCO Counselor Michelle Reddick have received Massachusetts Latino Educators Shine Awards, nominated by State Rep. Amy Sangiolo.
NPS teachers Julie Ferland (Horace Mann), Taylor Cohen (F. A. Day), Janette Patel (Oak Hill), and Andrew Thompson (Newton South) have been selected to receive MassDEP Green Team Awards for Environmental Leadership, as reported by Green Newton.
Sawyer Cohen and Sarah O’Reilly graduated from the College of William & Mary in May with Bachelor of Arts degrees.
Capt. John M. Ryan (1845-1926) served on the Newton Police force (1878-1913) after serving in the 28th Massachusetts Irish Brigade in the Civil War, and then in the 7th U.S. Cavalry (1866-1876) as a Sergeant under Lt. Col. George Custer. Sergeant Ryan was one of relatively few survivors of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, which occurred on June 25-26, 1876 — exactly 150 years ago this week. In 1923, Capt. Ryan published his first-person account of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. In 1993, the City of Newton dedicated Captain Ryan Memorial Park, next to Newton Police Headquarters, to his memory with a stone engraved there saying: “A kind and decent man of courage whose life exemplified service to family and country.”