Eight community members from each of the Item’s seven coverage areas will be honored Thursday evening as a part of Essex Media Group’s 7th annual Persons of the Year ceremony. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Lynn Museum and Historical Society, located at 590 Washington St. 

Each of the community members representing Lynn, Lynnfield, Marblehead, Nahant, Peabody, Saugus, and Swampscott will be honored for their work in their communities that made a positive impact in 2023.

Here are the EMG Persons of the Year for 2023:

In Lynn, Latina Center Maria founder and Executive Director Magalie Torres-Rowe is being honored for starting the nonprofit focused on helping Latina mothers learn English and guide them through the American education system to ensure their children’s success.

In Lynnfield, longtime wrestling and tennis coach Craig Stone will be recognized for his dedication and commitment to coaching hundreds of student-athletes for more than four decades. 

Marblehead’s Jodi-Tatiana Charles took over as President of the Marblehead Festival of Arts last year and will be honored for her work in expanding one of the town’s biggest annual events to create a more inclusive and diverse atmosphere for the festival. 

Virginia Fiske, a 105-year-old World War ll veteran, will be celebrated for her service, dedication, and resiliency both while serving and in Nahant. 

Also being honored for his service and commitment to his community will be the late Peabody Police Officer Henry Breckenridge, who died last July at the age of 40. Breckenridge was a beloved community police officer, and a scholarship has been started in his name to continue his legacy. At the ceremony, his mother, Charlotte, will accept the award.

In Saugus, 94-year-old Gene Decareau will be recognized for his decades of volunteer service in the Town of Saugus. Decareau is currently a member of the town’s retirement board, the Lions Club, which he joined roughly 55 years ago, and still donates to the food pantry once a week.

And Swampscott will see two individuals honored for their efforts in the King’s Beach cleanup movement: Andrea Amour and Elizabeth Smith, who started the Save King’s Beach movement with a simple social media post in 2021. 

The event is free to the public; however, seating is limited.