Jennelle Gadowski of West Tisbury has been named a 2022 Commonwealth Heroine Honoree by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women. The award honors women who are unsung heroes in their communities.

Ms. Gadowski is a local activist and organizer who works on behalf of racial justice, women’s rights and the LGBTQ+ community on the Vineyard. She is the chair of the Martha’s Vineyard NAACP LGBTQ+ committee and a member of Young Activists for Social Justice MV, MV BLM, the MV League of Women Voters Climate Committee, the MV Diversity Coalition and We Stand Together, Estamos Todos Juntos, a group dedicated to civic engagement. She also volunteers for the Community Ambassador Program, an organization bridging communication barriers with non-English speaking Islanders.

She was nominated by Rep. Dylan Fernandes to receive the award.