Legislator Stephanie Bontempi (R - 18th L.D.) proudly honored Linda Guido as the Suffolk County Woman of Distinction for the 18th District during the Suffolk County Woman of Distinction Celebration luncheon, hosted at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge.
Linda Guido epitomizes dedication to community service. Born and raised in Huntington, Linda, who raised four children with her late husband, has been a local small business owner for over three decades. Linda's journey of community service began in the 1970s when she volunteered for an organization supporting veterans from Huntington Township who served in Vietnam.
Linda and the women from the organization worked diligently to establish a living memorial that would honor the 49 servicemen from Huntington Township. They planted 49 Kwanzan cherry trees, one for each serviceman, and erected a plaque with their names. The living memorial was the first of its kind in the United States and is located on the historic Village Green. In June 2022, Linda worked closely with the Town of Huntington Veteran Affairs Bureau to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the dedication of that memorial.
Linda made a significant impact through her memorial work and also dedicated her time to serving on various boards, including the Huntington Youth Bureau Board, the Family Service League Board of Directors, and the Huntington School Board. Over the course of thirteen years, from 2009 to 2022, Linda facilitated a Mentoring Program at the Town of Huntington's Tri Community and Youth Agency and was recognized for her hard work as an Honor Roll designee at their Annual Dinner. During the luncheon, Linda was pleasantly surprised to see Ali, one of her former students from the mentorship program. Ali had flown in from Seattle just to attend the event for Linda.
In addition to her community work, Linda also served as a Legislative Aide for Suffolk County Legislators
Jon Cooper, William Spencer, and Stephanie Bontempi from 2009 to 2022.
Linda's tireless dedication has not gone unnoticed. She has been recognized in the past as a Woman of Distinction by the Town of Huntington and received the HFEE (Huntington Foundation for Excellence in Education) Award from the Huntington School District.
Legislator Bontempi expressed her profound admiration for Linda, stating "Linda’s unwavering commitment to service is truly inspiring, and it is a privilege to honor her today."