2024 Scarsdale Bowl Goes to Jane Veron, Spotlight Award to Maroon and White

Suzanne Seiden, Jane Veron and Erika RublinJane Veron is the 2024 recipient of the venerated Scarsdale Bowl, awarded annually since 1943 to those who have “given unselfishly of time, energy, and effort to the civic welfare of the community.”

The Scarsdale Foundation also continued its new tradition of honoring either an individual or an organization who has made a tangible difference in the community’s quality of life in one specific area. The second-ever Spotlight Award goes to Maroon and White for its enormous contribution to high school and middle school athletics, and by extension the community.

Please plan to celebrate the Foundation’s honorees at the Bowl Dinner on Thursday, April 11th. The Scarsdale Foundation promotes and celebrates volunteerism, administers grants and scholarships, provides need-based college scholarships for sophomores, juniors and seniors and recognizes extraordinary volunteers who work toward the betterment of the community.

A Bit About Jane Veron

“Jane has contributed so much to the Scarsdale community, and we are thrilled to honor her with the Bowl this year,” said Scarsdale Bowl Chair Erika Rublin. “She is an extraordinary leader whose vision, commitment and compassion has made a tremendous difference for Scarsdale.

The Bowl Committee, a diverse group of 15 community volunteers representing all areas and demographics of Scarsdale, selects the recipient after reviewing and vetting many worthy candidates who are nominated by the community. Following the Bowl Committee vote on Sunday night, Erika Rublin along with Suzanne Seiden, President of the Scarsdale Foundation, Leah Dembitzer Secretary of the Bowl Committee, Isabel Finegold, Treasurer of the Bowl Committee, and Bowl Committee member Sharon Higgins surprised Veron at her home with the news on Sunday night.

Suzanne Seiden, Erika Rublin, Sharon Higgins, Jane Veron, Isabel Finegold and Leah Dembitzer
“I feel such overwhelming emotion and am honored beyond words,” said former Mayor Veron. “I have such strong love for this community and deeply admire the incredible people who make up this special place. I was truly caught off guard Sunday night when an exceptional group of volunteers gathered at my front door. Being recognized by those who are deserving in their own right makes this award profoundly meaningful.”

Fox Meadow resident Jane Veron has had a long history of volunteer work touching upon so many organizations that are the pillars of life in the village, making her a natural recipient of the 2024 Scarsdale Bowl award. Well known in the community for her volunteerism, Veron has tirelessly championed local government initiatives in Scarsdale, revitalizing the downtown while championing broad policy improvements for municipal services, infrastructure, economic development, and land use. Veron and her husband, Andrew Feldstein, have lived in Scarsdale since 1997 and raised their three daughters, Emily, Julia and Anna, here.

Professionally, Veron has demonstrated recognizable social impact serving as the CEO and co-founder of The Acceleration Project (TAP), a nonprofit organization creating a more equitable and inclusive economy providing advisory services to under-resourced small business owners across the country. Since co-founding TAP in 2012, Veron has grown the organization to nearly 200 consultants who serve thousands of small business owners annually. She is currently serving on the SBA Investment Capital Advisory Committee, a new federal committee of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the leading advocate for America’s 33 million small businesses.

A lover of learning, Veron said she always knew she wanted to use her abilities for social good. She is a graduate of Harvard Business School (MBA) and Yale University (BA). Her public service resume includes serving as President, League of Women Voters of Scarsdale; Chair, Scarsdale Neighborhood Association of Presidents (SNAP); President, Fox Meadow Neighborhood Association; Executive Committee, Fox Meadow PTA; Vice President, Scarsdale-Edgemont Family Counseling Service; Secretary, Scarsdale Foundation; Chair, Scarsdale Bowl Committee; Chair, Scarsdale Planning Board; Steering Committee Member, Youth Athletic Coalition; and many positions on various Scarsdale community boards. Her dynamic approach models outreach and engagement on issues to reach consensus.

Community member Nicky Ziman said, “Jane is an eminently capable, committed volunteer in Scarsdale in a variety of civic roles, culminating in her mayorship. Motivated to achieve optimal outcomes for all, Jane always demonstrated thoughtful evaluation of initiatives, insightful judgment, and deliberation informed by community and professional opinions. For Jane, the ultimate goal of civic leadership was the betterment and welfare of Scarsdale and she took her responsibilities seriously, pursuing them with genuine and wholehearted interest. Jane’s lasting impact on Scarsdale is undeniable from her contributions to the Library renovation and expansion to the revitalization of Scarsdale Village Center. She is an asset to our village, and Scarsdale is a better place for having Jane as a citizen of this community."

The Spotlight Award

Suzanne Seiden, Amy Frank and Erika RublinFor the second time, the Bowl Committee also selected a Spotlight Award winner. As opposed to the depth and breadth required of the Bowl winner, the Spotlight Award recognizes meaningful contributions in a specific area or a problem solved after focused effort.

The Bowl Committee requested suggestions of individuals and organizations alike from the community and reviewed many worthy nominations before voting for Maroon and White to be the 2024 recipient of the Spotlight Award in recognition of their significant contributions to the Scarsdale student athletic community. Maroon and White Co-President Amy Frank was likewise surprised to learn of the award when Erika Rublin, Suzanne Seiden, Leah Dembitzer, Isabel Finegold and Sharon Higgins surprised her at her home with the news on Sunday night.

On behalf of the parents, donors, and volunteers for Maroon and White, we were honored and delighted to be recognized as only the second-ever recipient of the Spotlight Award," said Maroon and White Co-President Amy Frank.

Co-President Moira Crouch added, "We exist to support our kids and our athletes and to honor excellence and team spirit and it is gratifying to be so recognized by the larger 'team' of our community in Scarsdale."

Maroon and White has been the booster program for high school and middle school athletics for 55 years, providing funds to purchase necessary equipment for their teams that aren’t covered in the current year school budget. In the last 5 years alone, the charitable volunteer and parent-led organization has donated over $780,000 to fund numerous projects. Most notable of these have been the lights at Butler Field and a new scoreboard at Supply Field, which have been significant to both the teams that use these fields and the wider Scarsdale community.

In addition to their financial support, the volunteers of Maroon and White are the consummate cheerleaders for Scarsdale’s high school athletes. Throughout the year, Maroon and White highlights weekly sports achievements through their “Raider of the Week” program, encourages attendance at important games with social media posts and email blasts, provides celebratory food, snacks and drinks at various game days, sponsors team dinners at the end of each sports season, and this past fall organized a parade to honor the season’s multiple State Championship teams. Maroon and White also plays a key role in promoting leadership, sportsmanship and a strong work ethic through numerous annual recognition awards given to deserving student athletes.

Suzanne Seiden, President of the Scarsdale Foundation said, “Every year, the Scarsdale Foundation and the Scarsdale Bowl Committee seeks to celebrate the spirit of volunteerism and generosity that make our community so special by honoring those who exemplify those ideals. Maroon and White embodies the generosity of our parents and our community, and has made an outstanding difference in the lives of our student athletes. Jane Veron, a remarkable volunteer and leader, has left an indelible mark on our village. We are thrilled to be celebrating with such dedicated volunteers and our larger community on April 11th.”