Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto is pleased to announce the winners of the seventh annual Town of Oyster Bay "Women of Distinction" Awards, recognizing the outstanding achievements of women who either live or work in the town.

"A distinguished awards committee, once again, had the difficult task of selecting one exceptional designee as the 'Woman of Distinction' in each of eight categories," Venditto said. "We honored this year's winners at the Tuesday, March 22, meeting of the town board. Winners were presented with a town citation and a special pin to commemorate the event.

"The 'Women of Distinction' Program has certainly proven to be a memorable tradition, honoring women who stand as role models for the younger generation in the Town of Oyster Bay," Venditto stated. "These women are a shining example of the outstanding citizenship that has made the Town of Oyster Bay such a special place to live and raise a family. I, together with my town board colleagues, am honored to recognize them."

Lois Clinco, CPA, CFE, was named a distinguished woman in business. She was named partner of Feldman, Meinberg & Co LLP in January 2001. She earned the designation CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner) from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, a global, 27,000-member professional organization dedicated to fighting fraud and white-collar crime. This designation requires completion of a rigorous qualification process and is awarded only to those who demonstrate superior skills regarding fraud prevention and detection.

Clinco, a resident of Syosset, is one of a handful of women with a CFE designation on Long Island, and was the only woman recognized by Long Island Business News in its 2004 Who's Who in Forensic Accounting. In addition to being partner of Feldman, Meinberg & Co LLP, responsible for the firm's cooperative and condominium practice group, Clinco is a graduate of Long Island University, CW Post Campus, with a BS in accounting. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners [ACFE], and a member of New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants [NYSSCPA], where she serves on the Nassau Chapter's Accounting and Auditing Committee.

Clinco is the mother of three sons, working hard to balance a satisfying family and working life. She coaches her 6-year-old's soccer team and previously coached her elder sons' T-ball teams. As hard as she works during the week, her weekends are reserved strictly for her family.

Gayle Mosenson was named a distinguished woman humanitarian. Mosenson, a resident of Woodbury, has selflessly involved herself in countless community organizations for several years. Among the long list of organizations privileged to have her dedicated involvement are the Woodbury Jewish Center, the Mid Island Y, various PTA units in Syosset and the Woman's Auxiliary of the Jericho Fire Department.

She is a founding member of the Woodbury Jewish Center and a former board member of the Sisterhood of the Woodbury Jewish Center and, for many years, ran its Judaica shop from her home. Mosenson was involved with the Mid Island Y and the Macabbi games. She is currently active in the Berry Hill Elementary School PTA.

Unfortunate events in her life led Mosenson to helping better the lives of others. Mosenson tragically lost her brother Andrew Zucker at the age of 27 when he lost his life in the September 11, 2001 collapse of Tower 2.

Following the tragedy of losing her son Jeffrey in a car accident, Mosenson, together with her husband, co-founded the Jeffrey Mosenson Memorial Fund, which works endlessly with the Nassau County Fire, Police and EMS Academy, Nassau University Hospital and NYIT to raise funds for the establishment and construction of the Jeffrey Mosenson School of Trauma and Emergency Medicine Research Center. The center is intended to train upwards of 2,500 personnel per year in this state-of-the-art training center.

Plans call for the Jeffrey Mosenson School to be the new home of the Nassau County Fire, Police and EMS Academy as well as the research laboratory for the New York Institute of Technology.

Mosenson is the mother of three children - Jonathan, JoAnna and Jenna and attends each of their games, shows, ice skating events and hockey games.

The pain of losing a brother and son so close to one another is heartbreaking - and never out of her thoughts. She moves forward with the dream of this facility becoming a reality as her motivation.

"These fine honorees have dedicated themselves to service and achievement, and their remarkable accomplishments are an inspiration to us all. Young women throughout the town do not need to look to Hollywood actresses or pop stars for their role models, they can look right here in the Town of Oyster Bay," Supervisor Venditto said.