District 05 - Lynda Perdomo-Ayala

Lynda Perdomo-Ayala | Legislator Kara Hahn's Honoree

LYNDA PERDOMO-AYALA, LMSW, CLC., CHAIR, was appointed to the Commission in 2002 and was elected Vice-Chair in 2003. In 2019, Lynda was sworn in as the Chair and has since focused on Police Reform and Reinvention since the killing of George Floyd, as well as Fair Housing and Diversity on Long Island, and the continued development of the Suffolk County Interfaith Anti-Bias Task Force together with a Junior Human Rights Commission. She is a graduate of Adelphi University, the School of Social Welfare at Stony Brook University, holds a certification in conflict resolution from Cornell University, and is a Certified Life Coach. Ms. Perdomo-Ayala is the Administrative Department Head for the Department of Pharmacological Sciences at Stony Brook University – Renaissance School of Medicine. At Stony Brook, she serves as the advisor to the Latin American Student Organization; is a member and Chair of the advisory board of the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Center; is a member of the Multicultural Women's Alliance; and serves as a member of various committees dedicated to the diversity, equity and inclusion of faculty, staff and students. 

Lynda has received many distinguished honors in the community for her work, too many to include in this bio, but here are some highlights. In 1997, the National Conference of Puerto Rican Women in special recognition awarded Lynda the National Outstanding Service Award for her dedication and contributions to the organization locally and nationally. In 1998, NACOPRW named her Woman of the Year for her work in the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Community along with numerous other honors. She was a recipient of the Outstanding Service and Community Commitment by the Bethel AME Church of Setauket, 1999. Lynda was honored as the "Woman of Distinction Award" by Union de Mujer Americana in Ponce, Puerto Rico. She received numerous additional awards, including Chancellor's award for Excellence in Diversity and Affirmative Action, 2001; Distinguished Alumni for University Service, Stony Brook University, 2002; New York State Social Worker of the Month, March 2004; Bank of America, Local Hero Award, 2006; Woman of the Year, Zonta International Club of Suffolk, 2006; Distinguished Social Worker, National Association of Social Workers, Latino Social Work Task Force, 2007; First Caribbean Award of the Top 50 Latino Leader on Long Island, 2009; and Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Women of Distinction Award, 2011.  In 2012, the Victims Information Bureau of Suffolk (VIBS) honored her with the Lifetime Achievement Award for her dedication and work in procuring their current building and she remains an advocate. In 2013, she was the recipient of the State University of New York Chancellor's Award for Distinguished Professional Service for the academic year 2012-2013. This award has a rigorous selection criterion that ensures that it is given only to those professional service staff who have consistently demonstrated superlative performance within and beyond their position. Shortly thereafter she was recognized as one of the "Outstanding Women in the Town of Brookhaven". 

In 2017, State Senator Phil Boyle honored Lynda for her efforts in the Latino community in Suffolk County; and the Suffolk County Women's Advisory Board and the Suffolk Legislature honored her as the 2018 Woman of Distinction County-wide for her work and being a role model. Ms. Perdomo-Ayala has been a concerned activist addressing civic and social problems and a sought after speaker on Hispanic/Latino issues and their communities. She continues to be motivated and encouraged by the need to improve the quality of life and well-being of many diverse populations, particularly women and youth. Due to her activism she was profiled in a project entitled "Politicos con Sabor," a documentary filmed for El Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños and Public Broadcast System (PBS). In 2020, she was named one of the 100 most influential people on Long Island. Shortly thereafter, she was selected as a 2021 Fellow of the SUNY Hispanic Leadership Institute, an honor bestowed on nominated employees selected from 64 campuses of which only 11 were chosen.