It’s no mistake that our borough is called Queens —named, of course, after a woman (Queen Catherine Braganza of Portugal). Always an integral part of life here, Queens women have made previously inconceivable strides over the last few decades.

In politics, business, education, public service, medicine and law — the women of Queens are leaving their mark. For example…

The city’s first female borough president was elected here. The first female vice-presidential nominee, Geraldine Ferraro, was from Queens. The Nanny was nursed in Queens, and so was Cyndi Lauper.

But beyond the headlines and public figures, it’s the ordinary women of Queens that contribute enormously to the life of the borough in so many ways. Here are a few of the outstanding women who make Queens what it is today.

The "Unisphere"

Across from Estelle Cooper’s desk is a large framed picture of Mayor Giuliani and Cooper hugging and smiling in front of the Unisphere.

As all Parks employees are assigned park-related names, Cooper is known to her colleagues as "Unisphere." Starquest, a.k.a. Henry Stern, asked Cooper to serve as the Assistant Commissioner for Queens Parks in 1995.

From her office in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Cooper’s been overseeing everything from the US Open to Mets games ever since. "This park is the crown jewel of the borough," Cooper said.

And indeed with Cooper at the helm, it is Queens’ gem. A $14 million soon-to-be promenade along Flushing Bay —connected to the park —keeps several bulldozers occupied. A swimming pool is also in the works.

Cooper’s been involved in politics ever since she volunteered to help out in Lindsay’s mayoral campaign in ‘65. She was hooked from the start, in spite of the fact the women of Cooper’s time normally did not become involved in politics.

"In the ‘60s, if you didn’t make coffee or type you weren’t really wanted. But that changed. I blazed a trail," said Cooper. "Women suddenly realized they were not second- class citizens. We had to work twice as hard. Today it’s almost equal but not quite."

Judy on-Duty

Judy Bergtraum had very little choice but to get involved with education. It’s in her blood. "Both of my parents have had schools named after them. PS 165 in Flushing (Bergtraum’s alma mater) is called the Edith K. Bergtraum school, and there’s a high school in Manhattan named after my father," Bergtraum said.

After graduating from Forest Hills High School, Bergtraum (naturally) pursued a teaching career, instructing both regular and special education. But educators, she soon realized, were not the people making important educational decisions. Administrators were.

"I was once told by a prominent political figure that as a female, if I wanted to work in government, one way I could do it was to become an attorney. What he meant was that women, who don’t really have a leg up in government, can gain equal footing with an attorney’s title."

Now a law school graduate, Bergtraum says she has "the best of both worlds." She got that government job, serving as Deputy Commissioner for Deputy Citywide Administrative Services for the City of New York, and continues to work for children as a member of School Board District 25, for which she ran again as an incumbent on May 18.

And if the school boards become extinct?

"I’ll find some other way to get involved," Bergtraum promised.

The Chief

"A woman’s obstacles are only as big as she makes them," insists Alexandra Rosa, Chief of Staff for Borough President Claire Shulman.

Born in Washington Heights and raised on Long Island, Rosa, 45, came back to Queens to live here while attending Columbia University’s School of Social Work in Manhattan. And where did this young Greek professional choose to dwell?

"All great Greeks must pass through Astoria," Rosa says with a smile.

While in Astoria, Rosa decided to get involved in politics on a grassroots level. Through association with the American Neighborhood Action Committee, Rosa began to plug a community-wide Greek voter registration drive.

"I looked as the school board and saw that there were almost no Greeks on the roster. So I started campaigning."

The rest, Rosa says, is kismet.

"During the drive, George Douris, founder of HANAC, came up to me and said ‘We need more people like you — young Greeks in government working in government.’ The rest is history," Rosa said.

After serving as an ombudsman to the Greek community for City Council President Paul O’Dwyer and his successor, Carol Bellamy, in Manhattan, Rosa decided she wanted to work in Queens, where she could "see a bit more" the effects of her work. Luckily, Claire Shulman, whom she had gotten to know while working on the Board of Estimates, had a job for her — Director of Policy and Research. She accepted.

Ten years later, as Shulman’s Number One, the Queens Village resident and single mother assists Shulman in all aspects of her operation — from developing the city budget to furthering Claire’s agenda. But while the Chief of Staff’s position is awash in facts and figures, Rosa’s end goal is still to improve social policy.

"With a woman in the top seat, we do focus on ‘women’s issues,’ such as education, health care and domestic violence. But we also believe that every issue is a women’s issue," Rosa explained.

Bet on Betty

You can’t get more Queens than Betty Letterese. A smile rarely leaves her face; her Queens accent is unmistakable.

"I was telling a friend of mine that a smile goes a long way. People almost always respond in kind," said Letterese. "It’s instantaneous."

And Letterese’s smile takes her all over the borough, as New York Hospital’s Community Affairs Liaison. She works with nearly every group in the borough — from seniors to Bangladeshis.

Recently, Letterese learned a great deal about Korean hospital customs.

"In Korea if someone is sick, the family stays with them in the hospital. They cook their food and make sure they’re comfortable. Relatives are afraid to leave their elders in the hospital," said Letterese. "They have tremendous respect for the elderly."

To accommodate Korean patients, Letterese arranges to have special rooms set up at New York Hospital, so family members can spend the night if they so choose.

Letterese is often meeting with seniors, who, she said, are some of her favorite people. "They are honest. And we always share a good laugh," she added.

Constantly reaching out to various groups throughout the borough, she has made many friends over the years.

"People, especially seniors, sometimes think they’re alone, but in reality they are not," she said. "I always find that if someone gets out of the house and talks to another person, they find they have a lot in common. You learn so much just by talking to people."

Banking on Queens

Lifelong Queens resident Georgiana Reese began working at Queens County Savings Bank as a marketing clerk in the late 1960s. Now the bank’s Co-Vice President, she has spent time in all of the bank’s branches, from Astoria to Kew Gardens.

"It educated me extensively about all of the different communities. I appreciate the way that Queens residents are ethnically intertwined. We all get along and help each other out," said the Whitestone native and Flushing resident.

Many local groups benefit from Reese’s efforts and contributions, via her position at the bank as well as her role as a private donor.

Reese is personally affiliated with the King’s Point Propeller, the Long Island City YMCA, and the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival. She sits on the board of Queens Theater in the Park, Flushing Council on the Arts, Queens Chamber of Commerce, the Queens Botanical Garden, and many other organizations.

"She loves to be involved and has a great feeling about the community and how the different parts work together," said Susan Lacerte, Executive Director, Queens Botanical Garden

East meets West

When Cecelia Chang came to St. John’s in 1976, she wasn’t planning to stay long. She was an exchange student from Taiwan, working toward her Master’s Degree in East Asian Studies.

But she fell in love with the borough, and it looks like she’s here for the long haul. "The longer I stay, the more I love it," commented Chang.

After finishing her Master’s in East Asian Studies in 1977, Chang felt she needed a new challenge. Working all the time for St. John’s, she completed her MBA in 1979, and her Masters in Education at Columbia University’s Teachers College in 1983.

But St. John’s remained close to her heart, and with three American graduate degrees under her belt, she returned to the University as Director of Development of the Center for Asian Studies. She didn’t stop there. In 1992 she was appointed Dean of the Center of Asian Studies, and Director of the Institute of Asian Studies.

Today, Chang continues to serve as Dean of the Center of Asian Studies, and has taken on the additional role of Vice President for International Relations.

But Chang’s work is not all academic. She works with American and Asian students to promote understanding and bridge the gap between Western and Eastern cultures, initiating exchange programs so students can experience cultural differences first-hand.

In the Queens community, Chang also serves as a bridge —from the borough’s large and fast-growing Asian community to one of the finest universities in the country.

Head of The Class

"I’ve always wanted to teach," said Alison Vitucci, an eighth grade Social Studies teacher at JHS l94.

The desire was so strong that when she was attending high school, she designed a program that sent students who were interested in education to local schools to assist teachers. As far as Vitucci knows, the program still exists.

Reaching out to students is key to Vitucci’s teaching method. Lessons are geared to youngsters’ interests, and textbook material is made relevant to their lives. Past events are related to current events.

To give students a taste of what it’s like to teach, Vitucci developed "Teacher for a Day". Youngsters devise a lesson plan and Vitucci guides them through the teaching process. Children learn how to handle responsibility and to stand in front of a room.

Vitucci also participates in activities that involve the school with the community.

Recently, Datamation Systems, Inc. awarded her $2,000 in computer equipment for the school as a result of a project she worked on to incorporate technology in the classroom.

"It’s not easy to get into education," said Vitucci, "and jobs are limited." She recommends that prospective teachers become knowledgeable in curriculum, set realistic goals and learn how to work with other people.

One Tough Cop

For nine-year old Roseanne Mulvey, the choice was clear. She was going to grow up to become a cop.

Mulvey, 33, is the only girl in a family that includes four brothers – all of whom fought desperately to stop her from joining the ranks of NY’s Finest.

"They fought me all the way," Mulvey said. "They thought it was nuts."

But they didn’t stop the feisty blonde. Mulvey was determined, unwilling to give upon her dream.

The five-year NYPD veteran was assigned to the 110th Precinct in Elmhurst after she graduated from the Police Academy in August 1994. She rode patrol for about two years, then was assigned a slot in the precinct’s SNEU (Street Narcotics Enforcement Unit) where she remains today. Along with her all-made counterparts, Mulvey hits the streets in plainclothes nightly, arresting drug dealers and users.

Mulvey said she has had several unforgettable experiences on the street that strengthened her determination to be a good cop. One in particular stands out.

During arrest processing of a 17-year old suspect, Mulvey explained to the teen that he had purchased Bazooka (a crack derivative) from a street dealer. The news came as a shock to the teen, who was told by the dealer that the white powder was cocaine. The street-savvy suspect was aware of the difference between the two drugs – Bazooka being much more deadly and addictive.

The teen approached Mulvey on the street several weeks after the arrest and thanked her for taking interest in his welfare. The incident caused the youth to take a good look at his life – and led him to attempt to clean up his act.

"Something like this makes a lot of the hassles worthwhile," Mulvey said.

The Speaker's Speaker

City Hall, it’s the center of so much news, one of the least dull places in the world. And that’s why Bernice Spitzer, a witty new age public servant from Kew Gardens, has worked as a spokeswoman for Council Speaker Peter Vallone for the last 10 years.

Before graduating with a degree in political science from Brooklyn College in 1965, Bernice worked as an editor and production manager for the Kings Courier, where she did a man-on-the-street story the day President Kennedy was assasinated. Before doing the interviews, she cried over his death.

"My roots go to local journalism. I love journalism, I love politics," said Spitzer.

In the 1970s she worked on political campaigns at the grassroots level, both as a petitioner and an area coordinator. During the Koch administration, she edited Community News, a government newspaper that covers City Agencies "What was so interesting about Koch was he used to do town halls, but just to familiarize himself with the local communities."

In her career, Spitzer has seen a lot of things come and go. "The biggest change is the problems have gotten more serious. (Public) Systems are being stretched."

Spitzer is also a boardmember of Community Board 9, the Queens Child Guidance Center and the Queens Jewish Council.

In her spare time, she practises Hatha yoga, and jogs across the Brooklyn Bridge a couple of days a week at lunch.