Interested in sponsoring? View our sponsorship document here or contact Heather Bailey heather.bailey@gswny.org at 716-935-6068
Any questions: Heather Bailey heather.bailey@gswny.org 716-935-6068
We are proud to present our 2024 Women of Distinction Event. Women of Distinction is an opportunity to recognize women who exemplify our mission by inspiring our Girl Scouts to dream, explore, and become creative problem solvers with the ability to tackle challenges to make the world a better place. These community leaders show strength in character, dedication to community service, and commitment to encouraging girls. We look toward the future with these women as role models in their personal and professional lives.
Girl Scouts’ courage and confidence are on full display as they run the event; Girls emcee the presentation, present and honor the women, and work as greeters and Girl Scout representatives.
We look toward the future with these women as role models in their personal and professional lives.
It’s a truly inspiring event with a heartwarming mission at its core.
Interested in sponsoring? View our sponsorship document here or contact Heather Bailey heather.bailey@gswny.org at 716-935-6068
Any questions: Heather Bailey heather.bailey@gswny.org 716-935-6068
Born and raised in Rochester, NY, Destini K. Bowman currently serves as a principal law clerk to a Monroe County Court Judge/Acting New York State Supreme Court Justice. She earned her B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University. Prior to her current role, Destini dedicated herself to the community service, first as an Americorps*VISTA at the Greater Homewood Community Corporation (GHCC) in Baltimore, MD, and then as a Community Organizer for Maryland's Collaborative Supervision and Focused Enforcement in Northeast Baltimore.
Notably, she spearheaded the establishment of a community Parade for National Night Out, which earned her a National Award for the initiative.
During her time at Albany Law School, Destini was an active member of the National Black Law Students Association, and in 2010, she led the Northeast team to “Region of the Year.” After receiving her J.D., Destini was selected as a New York State Senate Legislative Fellow for the Hon. Ruth Hassell-Thompson.
Eager to pursue her desire to work in the courtroom, Destini joined the Monroe County District Attorney's Office where she prosecuted thousands of crimes and refined her trial skills. She later became a civil rights attorney at Disability Rights New York, where she passionately advocated for the rights and well-being of individuals with developmental disabilities.
Destini is a proud Girl Scout and as a troop leader, she has opened doors for girls in K-12 to travel, receive higher awards, and build leadership skills. She is also the Williams Park Service Unit Manager for GSWNY.
Destini is a former executive board member of the Rochester Black Bar Association, the Greater Rochester Association for Women Attorneys, and the National Bar Association’s Young Lawyer’s Division and Region 2. Destini has initiated and organized several programs for various groups, including a “Real Talk” while a member of the National Black Prosecutor’s Association. She has been an active member of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, the Monroe County Bar Association, and her church.
Destini has been honored with several prestigious awards throughout her career, including the 2014 Daily Record Excellence in Law: Up and Coming Attorneys Award, the 2017 Rochester Business Journal's 40
under 40 recognition, and the 2020 GRAWA Ally Windsor Howell Championship of Diversity Award. She was also acknowledged with the GSWNY Appreciation Pin in 2020 and received recognition from Region 2 of the NBA the same year.
Notably, in 2023, she was honored as a Women of Excellence by the RBJ, and now in 2024, she is being recognized as one of our Women of Distinction.
When she is not working or serving the community, Destini takes pride in spending time with her family and friends, enjoying comedy shows, and traveling.
Congratulations Donna L. DeCarolis!
Donna L. DeCarolis assumed the role of President of the National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation in 2019, marking a significant milestone in her more than 35-year tenure with National Fuel Gas Company.
Throughout her distinguished career, Donna has held various leadership positions, including Vice President of Business Development. She has also overseen diverse areas such as corporate Investor Relations, Utility Customer Quality Assurance, Corporate Communications, Human Resources, Utility Energy Marketing, and Government Affairs. Additionally, Donna has served as president of several of the company’s non-regulated business entities.
Beyond her professional commitments, Donna actively engages in economic, cultural, and educational initiatives, serving on numerous boards in leadership capacities. Notable roles include Vice Chair of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, Immediate past Chairperson, and Vice Chair of The Business Council of New
York State, and Immediate past President for Buffalo’s Frank Lloyd Wright Martin House.
In 2019, Donna was appointed to the New York State Climate Action Council, a pivotal body responsible for developing a plan to achieve the state’s greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. Her tenure on the council culminated
in the issuance of a final scoping plan in December 2022. Donna also contributes her expertise as a board member of the Buffalo Sabres Foundation and serves on the Board of Trustees for Niagara University. She is a valued member of the University at Buffalo School of Management Dean’s Advisory Council and the Society of Gas Lighting.
Donna has also held leadership positions as board chairperson for Shea’s O’Connell Preservation Guild and Leadership Buffalo, an organization from which she also graduated. She holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in business administration from the University at Buffalo and resides in Buffalo with her husband.
Congratulations Jennifer McNeely!
Jennifer McNeely, hailing from Lewiston, NY, serves as the President and Co-Owner of Acome Construction, where her unparalleled drive and determination are evident in her leadership. In 1993, Jennifer began her career at Acome Construction as a laborer and truck driver, a role she dedicated herself to until 2003. Following this period, she focused on raising a family while simultaneously pursuing higher education. Jennifer successfully earned an Associate Degree in Computer and Electronics Technology and ventured into the field of electronics, where she gained valuable experience. At the end of 2017, Jennifer returned to Acome Construction, assuming the role of co-owner and President of the
company – making her the third-generation owner of the business as her father and grandfather had previously held the position. Presently, she oversees the day-to-day office operations, which encompass tasks such as writing proposals and invoices, conducting site visits, and managing communication with
suppliers and customers.
Additionally, Jennifer has resumed driving trucks for the company, holding a
Class B CDL. Her multifaceted experience and dedication contribute significantly to the success of this woman-owned business. Jennifer's love of Girl Scouts shines through in her long-standing commitment to the organization where she has volunteered for over 20 years. When she started her Junior-level troop, she also became a Service Unit Manager for the Lew-Port area where she still serves today. As her troop got older, they started competing in the annual Skills and Chills Competition. They’d train all summer and welcome girls from all over to join them and compete. They learned a lot, had a blast, and always went home with a bunch of ribbons! As a devoted cookie mom, Jennifer's troop consistently ranked among the council's top 5 sellers for multiple years, enabling her girls to embark on exciting adventures funded by their sales and over the past 20 years, Jennifer has additionally served as a troop leader and service unit manager.
Jennifer is also a big fan of the Buffalo Bills and NASCAR. In her free time, she loves traveling, hiking, camping, gardening, and spending time with her family. She has two daughters, both of whom were active Girl Scouts…in fact, her youngest daughter Jessica went all the way through to graduation and earned
her Gold Award, and worked at Camp Piperwood – a success any Girl Scout mom must be proud of.
Congratulations Rhonda Johnson!
Rhonda Johnson’s life is an inspiring story of hard work and determination where she achieved great success in the traditionally male-dominated field of Manufacturing. Rhonda was born and raised in Jamestown NY. She graduated from Jamestown High School and had the exciting opportunity to spend her senior year of high school in Turin, Italy as a Rotary exchange student.
After graduation, Rhonda began her career at Weber Knapp, a manufacturing company in Jamestown with over 100 employees, as an assembler on the second shift but her determination and desire to learn allowed her to quickly move into other positions within the company. During that time Rhonda also decided to take advantage of the company’s tuition reimbursement program and began work on her associate’s degree at Jamestown Community College, which she obtained in 2004…but she didn’t stop there! Rhonda immediately began working on her bachelor’s in business degree and then her Masters of Business Administration which she obtained just 4 short years later graduating from Franklin University in 2008.
Rhonda loves working at Weber Knapp, a company that encourages all employees to grow and advance…and she’s living proof of that value having begun as an assembler to being promoted to President in 2017 and then in 2023, she became co-owner of the company. Over the years Rhonda has used her position in the company, and the various boards she has served on, to encourage students, young adults, and older displaced adults to consider a career in manufacturing.
She believes that we still don’t have enough women in manufacturing but can speak from personal experience that women can truly excel in manufacturing, a career that offers so many different roles that it’s difficult not to and something you enjoy doing. In fact, she says the difficulty is in choosing just one job!
Rhonda has been married to her husband Jeff for 37 years and enjoys spending time with her son Andrew, his wife Brooke, and her grandchildren Jax and Willow.
Congratulations Sheila L. Brown,
“Starting from the ground up" perfectly describes the journey of this honoree. Ms. Sheila L. Brown, CEO and two-time author, embarked on her career journey in 1986 as an entry-level sales representative at WUFO Radio Station. Through perseverance and unwavering determination, she turned her aspirations into reality, achieving her lifelong ambition of owning a broadcasting station in just 27 years. With the acquisition of the radio station, she attained the distinction of being the youngest African-American female in the county to accomplish such a feat.
Today, as the owner and Chief Executive Officer of WUFO Radio Station, she leverages her platform to uplift and support her community. Through her leadership, she has initiated numerous successful annual events, including the Black Music Month Conference, holiday-themed luncheons, community giveaways, Lunch and Learn sessions, and initiatives promoting women-owned businesses, all of which have significantly expanded the station's outreach to the inner-city community.
Throughout the years, Sheila has been honored with a multitude of awards, including the Black Achievers Media Award, the Atlanta Radio and Record Award, and induction into the Black Achiever Museum in Buffalo. In a significant milestone in 2022, Sheila made history as the first African American inducted into the Buffalo Broadcaster Association. Additionally, she serves as the CEO and President of the WUFO Black Radio History Collective, dedicated to preserving sixty-one years of WUFO's recorded history, spanning past, present, and future. Expanding her influence, Sheila recently acquired her second radio station, WIGO
Pacesetter 1570AM, located in Atlanta, Georgia, further solidifying her impact in the broadcasting industry.
She has been recognized by Buffalo Business First newspaper as the largest women-owned business and made the Top 125 Power Women list two years in a row.
As an author, Sheila has established two new on-air platforms: The Author's Academy and The SLB Book Review radio program. The former provides a platform for authors to showcase their work, while the latter offers insightful book reviews. Additionally, she hosts a live radio talk show that amplifies community voices, whether for business, awareness, or entertainment purposes.
But that's not all—Sheila is currently working on her first movie project, "The Barrington Brown Story."
Outside of her professional endeavors, Sheila enjoys dancing, shopping, spending quality time with girlfriends, and attending church services on Sundays. She is a woman of faith, a devoted wife to Kenneth, and a nurturing mother to her children, Morgan, Barrington, and Blaine. Sheila lives by her motto: "God will bless you openly where others can see, no need to brag about your success." She is also a lifetime member of the Pilgrim Baptist Church.