This year’s inductees include Carolyn Destefani of Sugarcreek Township, who is being recognized for her community service.
Destefani began her legacy of service when she was commissioned into the Air Force and served during the Gulf War. She continued to serve her community through participation in local government serving several terms as a Sugarcreek Township Trustee, President, and Vice President of the Greene County Township Association, Executive Board Member of the Greene County Regional Planning and Coordinating Commission and Co-Chair of the Perspectives 2040 Planning Committee, which helps guide regional zoning.
As a Sugarcreek Township trustee, she helped to secure state, county and local funding for a veterans’ memorial, and facilitated the design and imminent realization of the project.
Some of her other local involvements include the Violence Free Futures/Family Violence Prevention Center Board, Greene County Water/Wastewater Advisory Committee, Miami Valley Military Affairs Association Board representing the Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Chamber of Commerce, 152nd Precinct Captain, and 100+ Women Who Care.
Constance Kendall-Goss of Cedarville will be inducted into the Hall of Fame for her endeavors in community service. Prior to her retirement from position as a contract specialist with the federal government, she was named the Federal Women’s Program Woman of the Year and received the Air Force Association Community Relations Award.
Her leadership efforts in the Wilberforce Chapter of The Links Incorporated, where she served as president, exemplifies the spirit of helping friends and neighbors in need.
During that time, the chapter celebrated its 60th anniversary by collecting and donating 2,200 cans of food to the local food pantry.
Kendall-Goss was recognized in Greene County as one of Top Ladies of Distinction, an organization that serves both youth and adults concerned with the status of women, community beautification and aiding senior citizens. She is also an active and devoted to service in her church community at the United AME Church in Xenia.
Debbie Matheson of Xenia will be inducted into the Hall of Fame for her work in family violence prevention.
Matheson began her journey as a volunteer working with the children and families affected by the devastation of domestic violence and sexual assault.
She currently serves as the Executive Director of Violence Free Futures, VFF, (formerly known as Family Violence Prevention Center) of Greene County. During her 30 years with VFF, she has served in numerous roles, seeing the organization through some of its most difficult times, adeptly managing many ongoing daily and long-term challenges — including funding, post-COVID staffing issues, higher demand for safe housing and a significant countywide rise in domestic/sexual abuse victims of all ages.
In addition, she also serves on leadership teams for law enforcement, judicial and family violence collaborative. Under her leadership, the Greene County Commissioners committed $1 million from the American Rescue Plan Act.
Catherine Roma, DMA, of Yellow Springs will be inducted into the Hall of Fame for her efforts in inclusive choral communities. For over 40 years, Dr. Roma has been creating vibrant choral communities that reach across barriers of race, religion, class and sexual orientation.
These include founding award-winning women’s choirs in Philadelphia and Cincinnati, the first prison choir in the United States at Lebanon Correctional Facility in Warren County, and numerous other active prison choirs across Ohio.
Dr. Roma is also founder and director of the World House Choir, a large, vibrant and active Greene County-based community choir, now celebrating its 10th season. The choir is non-competitive, non-auditioned and broadly inclusive. All are welcomed and invited to participate and perform at public events as well as in the prisons. Dr. Roma recently received the Ohio Arts Council Governor’s Award for the Arts in Community Development and Participation.
Beth Rubin of Yellow Springs will be inducted into the Hall of Fame for her work in Social Services. A lifelong resident of Greene County, Rubin started working at the Greene County Department of Human Services in 1996 eventually becoming the Job and Family Services Director in 2007.
In 2012, she took on the additional responsibility of the Children Services Division. As director, she is responsible for administering the county’s public assistance, workforce development, child support, child and adult protective services programs.
In 2019, she was honored as the Ohio Job & Family Services Directors’ Association Outstanding Director of the Year.
Additionally, Rubin has served as a board member of the Greene County Housing Program, which helped save the family shelter for Greene County; with Greene County Family and Children First Council, serving as vice chair and chair; and on advisory boards with United Way Greene County, Ohio State University Extension, Clark State University Greene and Fairborn Municipal Drug Court.
Reservations for the Sept. 23 luncheon are $25 and must be paid in advance by mail with the final deadline of Sept. 16. Receipts will be held at the door.
The menu options are limited to your choice of either Trio Salad (chicken/tuna/egg) or Vegetarian Garden Salad. Please be sure to mark or include menu preference with payment check payable to the Greene County Women’s Hall of Fame and mailed to P.O. Box 703, Fairborn, OH 45324.
For more information about reservations, call Ann Byrd, Hall of Fame chair, at 937-429-1805.
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