Lisa Antonini is named woman of the year

The award came with a $5,000 contribution to the county party.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Ohio Democratic Party named Mahoning County Democratic Chairwoman Lisa Antonini its woman of the year.
The party honored Antonini, of Austintown, as the winner of its Gertrude Donahey Award, named after the first female elected to a nonjudicial statewide office in Ohio. The party presented the award to Antonini at its annual dinner Saturday.
"It's a great honor, and something the local community can be proud of," said Antonini, the first female head of the Mahoning County Democratic Party.
State Democratic Chairman Dennis White, who chose Antonini for the honor, said the Mahoning chairwoman is a hard worker. That was proved, he said, by the energy and effort she put into last year's presidential election.
"She went above and beyond the call of duty," White said of Antonini. "She works hard and she deserved the honor. The folks in her county are lucky to have her in charge."
Successful term
Since Antonini's election as chairwoman, Democrats have successfully retained every partisan office in the county. But Democratic-backed candidates for two county seats were badly defeated last year by Republican-backed sitting judges in nonpartisan races. Antonini said she plans to run for re-election to another four-year term as head of the Mahoning Democrats when her term expires next year.
Along with the honor, the state party contributed $5,000 to the Mahoning Democratic Party. This was the first time the state party included a donation to the Donahey award winner. Antonini is only the fourth woman to win the award, created in 1998.
"That was a nice touch," Antonini said of the $5,000. "It was a way for the state party to say, 'Thank you.' It was fantastic and a great honor. It will help us continue the job. It will further strengthen us administratively, technologically, and politically."
The $5,000 award is part of the state party's plan to invest money in the local parties, White said.
skolnick@vindy.com