New York City Council Member Rafael Salamanca Jr. hosted his annual Women of Distinction Celebration on Wednesday, March 19, at Schiff Hall in the Bronx Zoo, honoring three women for their outstanding contributions to the community.
This year’s honorees included Wanda Salaman, executive director of Mothers On the Move; Dr. Camelia Tepelus, executive director of the Morris Park Business Improvement District; and Dr. Xellex Rivera, chief program officer at Housing Solutions of New York.
In addition to celebrating the achievements of this year’s honorees, the Women of Distinction Celebration served as a broader tribute to all women who have made significant contributions to the Bronx community. The event brought residents together for an evening of recognition, camaraderie, music and food. Salamanca was joined by District Leader Freddy Perez Jr., who helped organize the celebration and was among the notable attendees.
The National Anthem was performed by Dianne Arroya. The Renaissance Youth Center then followed with special performances of their own. After a sit-down dinner and the recognition of the three honorees, the evening closed out with music and dancing.
“Taking this time to celebrate Women’s History Month allows us the opportunity to uplift and pay homage to all of the significant, positive contributions that women have made to our District, Borough and City,” Salamanca said. “Our Borough, and each one of us, wouldn’t be as strong and capable as we are if it weren’t for the incredible women in our lives, so I thank all of the women who have touched our lives, and who are present with us this evening.”
Salaman has served as executive director of Mothers On the Move since 2002. In this role, she has championed leadership development among communities of color, with a focus on the intersection of education, environmental justice, housing, and economic equity. She is also committed to building worker-owned cooperative businesses that help keep wealth rooted in the community.
Under Salaman’s leadership, Mothers On the Move successfully sued the New York Organic Fertilizing Company, a sludge processing plant that was polluting the Hunts Point area. The organization’s advocacy led the City to divest from the facility, resulting in its closure and the transformation of 1.2 acres into parkland for local residents. Salaman also oversaw the launch of a childcare cooperative and a cleaning service cooperative, both led by more than 30 women entrepreneurs from the African continent.
In addition to her work at Mothers On the Move, Salaman serves as Chair of Flourishing in Community, an EPA-funded grantmaking initiative supporting community-based organizations in Region 2. The program, part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Thriving Communities initiative, is hosted by Fordham University.
As the inaugural executive director of the Morris Park Business Improvement District, Dr. Tepelus has led transformative efforts to support more than 300 businesses along the Morris Park Avenue commercial corridor. Under her leadership, the corridor has achieved one of the lowest commercial vacancy rates in New York City, at under 3%.
Dr. Tepelus’ innovative work in economic development, marketing, beautification, and policy advocacy has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Gotham Gazette and City Limits. She is widely recognized for her creative approach to strengthening business districts and promoting legislative support for Bronx-based entrepreneurs.
Dr. Rivera is one of the youngest C-suite nonprofit executives in New York City. She earned her doctorate from Walden University with a concentration in Social Policy Analysis and Planning. Her groundbreaking research has been highlighted by Forbes Women and BronxNet, including her dissertation, “Experiences of Long-Term Stay Among Homeless Millennials in New York City Shelters,” which explores the lived experiences of millennials facing extended periods of homelessness.
