Bill Text: NY J00831 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Mourning the death of Mary Ann Malack-Ragona, tireless advocate for families fighting Alzheimer's disease

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-03-26 - ADOPTED [J00831 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-J00831-Introduced.html

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Senate Resolution No. 831

BY: Senator BOYLE

        MOURNING  the  death  of  Mary  Ann Malack-Ragona,
        tireless advocate for families fighting  Alzheimer's
        disease, distinguished citizen and devoted member of
        her community

  WHEREAS,  It  is  with  profound  sorrow that this Legislative Body,
representing the people of the State of New York, is moved this  day  to
pay  tribute  to  an  eminent  woman of indomitable faith and dedication
whose public service and countless accomplishments will forever stand as
a paradigm and inspiration for others; and

  WHEREAS, Mary Ann Malack-Ragona,  of  Medford,  New  York,  died  on
December 19, 2018, at the age of 70; and

  WHEREAS,  Executive Director/CEO of the Alzheimer's Disease Resource
Center, Inc. (ADRC), Mary Ann Malack-Ragona leaves behind  a  legacy  of
efforts  to  find  a  cure  for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias,
which goes unmatched; and

  WHEREAS, Mary Ann Malack-Ragona joined what  is  now  known  as  the
Alzheimer's  Disease  Resource  Center in February of 2003, and in 2004,
opened The Neuwirth Family Care Center within  the  agency's  Ronkonkoma
office; and

  WHEREAS, In 2011, Mary Ann Malack-Ragona moved the agency to a 9,000
square foot facility, adding The Mickey & Felice Neuwirth Care Center as
a  critical  care  component to the new Resource Center; that same year,
she also opened a satellite office in Southampton, bringing much  needed
services to the East End of Long Island; and

  WHEREAS,  This  extraordinary  women  was  successful  in  obtaining
approval, from the Institutional Review Board  of  North  Shore/LIJ,  to
collaborate  with  the  Litwin-Zucker  Center  for  Memory  Disorders  &
Alzheimer's  Disease,  bringing  a  comprehensive  clinical   evaluation
research program to Long Island families; and

  WHEREAS,  In  2006,  Mary Ann Malack-Ragona, in conjunction with her
colleague,  successfully  launched  a  college  accredited   Alzheimer's
Disease  training  program  for professional caregivers; this curriculum
has since trained over 600 individuals; and

  WHEREAS, Prior to joining  ADRC,  Mary  Ann  Malack-Ragona  was  the
Executive  Director  for  the  New York State Association of Temporary &
Staffing Services, Inc., where she represented the staffing industry  on
a statewide level with Chapters located in Albany, Buffalo, Long Island,
Metro New York, Rochester and Westchester; and

  WHEREAS,  Before  returning  to  Organizational Management, Mary Ann
Malack-Ragona was employed  by  UnitedHealthcare,  one  of  the  largest
Health  Plans in the country; she held several positions in the company,
including Product Manager/Project Coordinator for  the  Tri-State  area;
and

  WHEREAS,  From  1977  to  1992,  Mary Ann Malack-Ragona was the Vice
President and COO for Vinmar Service Stations, Inc., a corporation which
operated major brand service stations on Long Island; and

  WHEREAS,  Furthermore,  she holds the distinction of being the first
female President of the Trade Association, as well as the  first  female
officer  for  its  national  association,  Service  Station  Dealers  of
America; and

  WHEREAS, Mary  Ann  Malack-Ragona  has  served  as  an  officer  for
Literacy  Volunteers  of America, Suffolk County; she also served on the
Environmental & Energy Committee and the L.I. Action Coalition  for  the
Long  Island  Association,  the  largest  business  association  on Long
Island; and

  WHEREAS, A  true  asset  to  society,  Mary  Ann  Malack-Ragona  was
appointed  to  the  Governor's  Task  Force on Adult Care Facilities and
Assisted  Living  Residences  in  January  of  2005,  as  well  as   the
Alzheimer's  Disease Coordinating Council in 2008; she was also a member
of the Long Term Care Councils in Nassau and Suffolk Counties; and

  WHEREAS, Mary Ann Malack-Ragona has appeared on national  television
shows, including the NBC "Today Show," as well as local shows including,
"Long  Island  Talks" and "Family Comes First"; she has also been quoted
extensively in Newsday, Long Island's most read newspaper, The New  York
Times, Suffolk Life, and the Long Island Advance; and

  WHEREAS,   After  graduating  with  distinguished  honors  from  St.
Joseph's College with a degree in Organizational Management and a  minor
in Human Resources Management, Mary Ann Malack-Ragona received a Masters
of  Business Administration from LIU/C.W. Post College of Management and
Business; and

  WHEREAS, Predeceased by her father, Stephen; and her  twin  brother,
Joseph,  Mary  Ann  Malack-Ragona  is  survived  by  her mother, Martha;
sister,  Rosemary;  two  sons,  Vincent  Jr.  and  Joseph;   and   three
grandchildren, Vincent III, Isabella and Joseph Jr.; and

  WHEREAS,  Armed  with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion, Mary Ann Malack-Ragona leaves behind  a  legacy  which  will
long  endure  the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory
to all she served and befriended; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
mourn  the  death  of  Mary  Ann  Malack-Ragona,  tireless  advocate for
families fighting Alzheimer's disease, distinguished citizen and devoted
member of her community; and be it further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted to the family of Mary Ann Malack-Ragona.