Suzanne Isaksen - Town of Montgomery Historian

In celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8th, the Office of Cultural Affairs at SUNY Orange and the Orange County Citizens Foundation will co-host a presentation focusing on significant women in Orange County’s history and in modern times. Town of Montgomery Historian Suzanne Isaksen will present a lecture focusing on the accomplishments of four women in Significant Women of Orange County – Past and Present: A Celebration of International Women’s Day. Women that will be featured include Jane Colden, Amy Bull Crist, Kate Seredy, and Shawn Dell Joyce. The event will begin at 7PM at Morrison Hall Mansion on the Middletown campus of SUNY Orange. The event is free and open to the public. “While the four women highlighted in the lecture have very different backgrounds and lived in different times, they have all contributed significantly to the Orange County community and beyond,” said Dorothy Szefc, Cultural Affairs Director at SUNY Orange. “We believe their stories are a great beginning to an annual event celebrating women internationally.” Suzanne Isaksen has served as Town of Montgomery Historian since 2005. She is a graduate of Cornell University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology and Archaeology and participated in an archaeological field school in Honduras. Ms. Isaksen received a Master of Arts degree from the University of Toronto and was a teaching assistant with the Department of Near Eastern Studies for two years. Besides her work with the Town of Montgomery, she also edits the newsletter for the Warren County, NJ Historical and Genealogical Society and serves as a docent for the Maybrook Railroad Museum. “I think it’s important for people to understand that we make history every day, whether we realize it or not. For this reason, I chose to highlight women who have contributed in different arenas,” said Ms. Isaksen. Jane Colden was the first woman botanical scientist, Kate Seredy was a children’s author, Amy Bull Crist was an educator and dedicated community volunteer, and Shawn Dell Joyce is an artist and educator. International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. In some places like China, Russia, Vietnam and Bulgaria, the day is a national holiday. The first International Women’s Day was held in 1911. Today, hundreds of events occur not only on March 8th but throughout the month to mark the achievements of women. For more information about International Women’s Day, visit http://www.internationalwomensday.com/default.asp. The Orange County Citizens Foundation is a non-profit organization whose mission is to create the environment that betters the lives of Orange County residents. It has collaborated on a number of cultural events with SUNY Orange, most recently an exhibit highlighting historical architecture of Orange County. For more information about the Citizens Foundation and its programs visit www.occitizensfoundation.org. For more information about the Lyceum – Cultural Affairs at SUNY Orange and its programming, visit www.sunyorange.edu. Additional information about Significant Women of Orange County – Past and Present: A Celebration of International Women’s Day, call Dorothy Szefc at SUNY Orange at 845-341-4891 or Nancy Proyect at the Orange County Citizens Foundation at 845-469-9459.