Elizabeth (Betsy) Fantone

Betsy Fantone served as Board Member and then President/Board Chair (2021-2022) of the National Women’s Hall of Fame (www.womenofthehall.org). The National Women’s Hall of Fame is the nation’s first and oldest nonprofit organization and museum dedicated to honoring and celebrating the achievements of distinguished American women. During her tenure , the Hall restored, and then relocated to, a historic knitting mill building that had originally been built by abolitionist and women’s rights supporters.

She holds a BA in Spanish for SUNY Cortland and MBA in Marketing and Finance from the University of Buffalo. Upon receiving her MBA she worked for New England Telephone (later NYNEX) in their Directory Division where she oversaw various aspects of the production of telephone directories for the New England region. At the time, it was an incredibly profitable business and was the largest unregulated business activity of the phone company. Upon the birth of her second child, Betsy left NYNEX to oversee the family’s rental properties and the career trajectories of two young boys, both of whom currently work at the family business, Optikos Corporation. During this time, she took on various leadership roles within her children’s schools including serving as President of the Pingree School Parents’ Association and as a member of the Board of Trustees.

Betsy retains close ties with Seneca Falls, NY, the location of the first women’s rights convention which is often referred to as the birthplace of the women’s rights movement in the United States.