(Daily Hampshire Gazette) Every community needs a Kate DiSanto. Whether it’s through her work as director of the Council on Aging, as a parent or just as a friendly face, Southampton wouldn’t be the same without her.
That is why she has been honored as one of 147 women statewide — and four in Hampshire County — in the 2026 class of Commonwealth Heroines. The state program, run through the Commission on the Status of Women, recognizes dozens of women each year who make their community a better place to live.
“It’s an honor, honestly,” DiSanto said. “I’m so grateful for the recognition and I think it’s such a huge highlight for the Council on Aging.”
During her interview at the Southampton Council on Aging (COA) with the Gazette this past Wednesday, DiSanto was prepping the space for the floors to be buffed and the walls to get a fresh new coat of paint, part of a mid-summer facility revamp.
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Through the Commission on the Status of Women’s program, each Massachusetts legislator is invited to nominate one woman from their district to honor annually. DiSanto was nominated by state Sen. John Velis, D-Westfield, who said the decision was an easy one after seeing how DiSanto leads by example every day.
“She’s a force multiplier,” Velis said about DiSanto. “She does a lot of everything for some of our most vulnerable constituents, to our older adults. One of the highest compliments I can give someone is that they care. There is so much apathy out there today, and Kate DiSanto cares.”
DiSanto made the trek to Beacon Hill in June when the heroines gathered for the annual program ceremony. She noted she was honored to be in a room full of women who have all accomplished so much in different ways.
“To see so many incredible women across the state and what they’re able to accomplish in their communities, to be part of that class of 2026, was an honor,” DiSanto said. “It was nice to feel that connection with the folks from the rest of the state.”
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