YMCA CEO Robert McDowell, left, joins this year’s Distinguished Citizens Dr. Susan Weinberger of Norwalk and Dick Dubow of Wilton. — Contributed photo

See the entire article here in the Wilton Bulletin.

Former Wilton Selectman Dick Dubow and Dr. Susan G. Weinberger of Norwalk have been named recipients of this year’s Distinguished Citizen Awards by the Riverbrook Regional YMCA. They will be honored at the YMCA Community Celebration on Sunday, Sept. 23, at Millstone Farm.

A tradition of the Y when it was the Wilton Family YMCA, the Distinguished Citizen Award has been given to more than 83 individuals, businesses and organizations since the Community Celebration began in 1986. It honors outstanding volunteers who have served their communities on a long-term basis and made a positive difference that benefits the Y’s expanded range of Norwalk, Redding and Wilton and its residents.

Dr. Susan G. Weinberger’s (aka “Dr. Mentor”) moved to Norwalk with her husband, Dr. Norman and their two children 47 years ago. Her pioneering efforts in school-based mentoring began in the early 1980s when she developed the Norwalk Mentoring Program for the Norwalk Public Schools — the first school-based mentoring program in the country.

Since then, she has been at the forefront of mentoring’s evolutionary growth — as an educator and an inspirational cheerleader. The guiding principle she established for this program is unchanged: matching students with positive adult role models has a profound impact on the lives of those students. Her work has been published widely and the program she designed has been replicated in the United States, Bermuda and Canada and internationally, impacting the lives of thousands of young people. (See the balance of the article here).

Susan is a longtime Carver volunteer and now chairs Carver's board committee on marketing.

Congratulations, Susan!