The 2020 honorees for the Brighton Area Women’s History Roll of Honor have been announced.

Representing the diverse accomplishments of women of the greater Brighton area, the honorees will be celebrated at the March 21st 2:00pm program in the Reading Room of the Brighton District Library. Especially noteworthy is that the event will celebrate Michigan as one of the first three states to ratify the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote. The 2020 Honorees are Carolina Louise DeLuca, Josephine DeLuca DelVero, Melinda Rodabaugh Kinsey, Marie Sedmak, Susanne Roys Seitters, and Karen Storey. Also recognized as an Athletic Championship Honoree will be Evelyn Money.

Carolina Louise DeLuca from 1996-2003 worked with the Women’s Resource Center and chaired the Child Abuse Prevention Council, and developed several abuse prevention programs. For many years, Carolina authored a monthly article on child abuse prevention issues for the Livingston County Press. Honored for her work with Livingston County youth, Carolina earned the Champion for Children Award during the 1990s. From 2003-2013, Carolina was active in fundraising efforts for The Connection Youth Services. She is also a founding member of Livingston County 100 Women Who Care.

Josephine DeLuca DelVero was appointed and served on the Livingston County Mental Health Board from 1984-1994, and a founder of the Livingston Child Abuse and Neglect Network. She is a past recipient of the Champion for Children Award, a founding member of the Livingston County Community Alliance, and also spearheaded the local Hartland Community Alliance. She has been an advocate for The Connection Youth Services teen shelter since its inception. She is a founding member of Livingston County 100 Women Who Care and continues to advocate support and resources for community members at-risk and in need.

Melinda Rodabaugh Kinsey has been a leader with the Brighton Area Historical Society since 2002, and has been the President, Treasurer, and Secretary of the Friends of the Brighton District Library Board of Directors. She served as President and Co-Program Director of Casual Quilters of Brighton since 2009 while creating Quilts of Valor for service members and veterans since 2010. She also has served as an Election clerk for Brighton Township since 2017 and participates as Secretary and Scrapbook Chair of the Pleasant Valley Social Club.

Marie Sedmak served in the British Royal Navy during the height of World War II, joining the Women’s Royal Navy Service, and was later assigned to the Chatham-Kent Naval Base. A transfer to Rochester, England, saw numerous German buzz bombs flying over en route to London targets, before posting to the Signals Distributing Office in tunnels under Dover Castle. She and her US Army Air Corps husband moved to the United States and later joined the Brighton community in 1971. Sedmak has been a member of the Brighton Garden Club since 1990 and was recognized with the Club Appreciation Award and the State Life Membership for meritorious service.

Susanne Roys Seitters served in the United States Navy and completed training in as an Aviation Electronics Technician during the Korean War. She worked in the Davison, MI Post Office for twenty years, served as a Sunday school teacher, and tutored adults learning to read. Her needlework skills supported her quilter’s group projects of creating lap-sized quilts for veterans in wheelchairs, and she serves as a volunteer mentor to new residents at Independence Village in Brighton.

Karen Storey began her teaching career at Maltby Intermediate School working with students with emotional impairment. In 2008, she began the Brighton Pack of Dogs Program to have social-emotional therapy dogs interact with students, and has led all aspects of the program throughout its development. Storey is also a co-founder of the non-profit organization “I Will Right Now” assisting families of Brighton Schools that are struggling financially because of catastrophe or life-altering illness.

Evelyn Money will be the Athletic Championship honoree. She won the Michigan Scholastic Cycling Association and was crowned the first female Varsity State Champion at the state mountain bike championship.

The Roll of Honor has been recognizing women from the Brighton Area since 2003 as a part of their efforts to bring awareness to women’s contributions to society. The honorees will be celebrated during a March 21st ceremony at the Brighton District Library. You’ll find full biographies at the attachment below.