What a pleasure it is to announce the 11th annual Women of Distinction Awards. The ten women you’ll meet in these pages are representative of the many creative, generous and dedicated women of Long Island. Each honoree has distinguished herself in many ways — career, family, community involvement.

No doubt you’ll recognize Leslie Segrete, who turned a talent for design, sewing and carpentry into a multi-faceted career in television and radio. Many will recognize Lucy Rosen, founder and president of the Business Development Group; Karen Joy Miller, who has been in the forefront of Long Island’s breast-cancer battle for many years; Suzy Sonnenberg, who has led the influential Long Island Community Foundation for 20 years; and Diane Cohen, executive director of the Long Island Fund for Women and Girls. You’ll get to know Alana Rosenstein of the Long Island Alzheimer’s Foundation, at 29 our youngest honoree ever; Karen Acompora, who has dedicated herself to improving safety on the athletic field in honor of her son, Louis, who was killed while playing high school lacrosse; Stephanie Carlino, executive director of one of Long Island’s newest non-profits, the Long Island Neurological Institute; and sisters Jackie Grabin and Debra Tappan, co-presidents of Arrow Exterminating and leaders in a male-dominated industry.

Special thanks to everyone who sent nominations for the Women of Distinction 2008. It’s always difficult to make the final selections from a field of so many deserving candidates.