Honor Linda Egan-Johnson Award

Senate Resolution No. 2057 BY: Senator BRESLIN HONORING Linda Egan-Johnson upon the occasion of her designation as recipient of the Mother of Pearl Award by the Frank Chapman Memorial Institute, Inc. on May 13, 2017 WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize and pay tribute to those nurses from this great Empire State who have distinguished themselves through professional excellence and have made significant contributions to the quality of life of its citizenry; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Linda Egan-Johnson upon the occasion of her designation as recipient of the Mother of Pearl Award by the Frank Chapman Memorial Institute, Inc. to be celebrated at its 9th Annual Extravaganza on Saturday, May 13,

2017, at the Albany Ramada Plaza Hotel in Albany, New York; and WHEREAS, Linda Egan-Johnson was born on June 17th to Kyran and Irene Egan in Albany, New York; after high school, she attended a two-year business college; during this time, she held the position of Girls' Program Director at the Albany CYO, where she organized numerous programs and mentored the counselors and students; and WHEREAS, After working for the federal government for seven years, returned to college and earned her nursing degree from Maria College; and WHEREAS, Linda Egan-Johnson then worked at Child's Hospital and St. Peter's Hospital, and was a Public Health Nurse with the Visiting Nurse Association of Albany; her first nursing position was at Child's Nursing Home where she cared for and assisted the elderly; and WHEREAS, During her later years of employment, Linda Egan-Johnson attended evening college to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing at Russell Sage College; she furthered her education by earning her master's degree in Special Education; and WHEREAS, Linda Egan-Johnson was then employed at Catholic Charities in Albany, assisting the Executive Director of a 10-county home care agency; she also set up and taught a New York State approved Home Health Aide program for local students; and WHEREAS, For the next 18 years, Linda Egan-Johnson served as a registered school nurse-teacher at Delaware Community School (formally known as P.S. 18) in Albany; and WHEREAS, In this capacity, Linda Egan-Johnson taught elementary school children health classes, maturation and hygiene classes, good/bad touch and Nutritio classes to empower these children with the ability to become self-directed in their own care; and WHEREAS, Besides teaching, Linda Egan-Johnson cared for students who suffered scrapes and bruises from accidents and injuries during play time, administered medications and taught students with asthma how to administer their own inhalers under her watchful supervision and guidance; and WHEREAS, As the school nurse, Linda Egan-Johnson served in various roles such as social worker, caregiver, teacher, and friend; she also maintained close contact with parents/guardians to ensure physicals and immunizations, among other things, were up to date; and WHEREAS, Throughout her tenure, Linda Egan-Johnson set up "Wellness Days" for both staff and students where speakers from various local agencies came to provide individuals and students with imperative information; she also assisted refugees who needed medical care to obtain appropriate referrals to physicians, dentists, and social workers; and WHEREAS, Although she is officially retired, Linda Egan-Johnson continues to work 2 1/2 days with the children of the Albany City School District; and WHEREAS, When she is not working, Linda Egan-Johnson enjoys spending time with her family, her two dogs, and five cats; she likes to maintain her health at various gyms, and for the last 12 years, has been the lead female vocalist in the Georgie Wonders Orchestra; and WHEREAS, This dynamic woman also volunteers her time and energy to Jezreel International which is an Albany-based agency that secures donations from various stores as well as private donations, to help less fortunate people; donations are packed and shipped to many countries across the world including Israel, Africa and South America; and WHEREAS, With her throughout have been her husband, Arnold Johnson, and their daughter, Sarah, both of whom have shown her love and support and rejoice in her many achievements; and WHEREAS, Built upon the proud tradition of caring, the profession of nursing is dedicated to implementing the best practices to deliver the highest quality of care to those whom they serve; and WHEREAS, These exceptional individuals, leaders in their profession, make a difference in the lives of every one of their patients, as well as the patients' family members they serve each and every day; they have truly proven themselves to be great assets to the health and welfare of the citizens of the State of New York; and WHEREAS, A woman of true integrity, Linda Egan-Johnson has served as a Registered Nurse with distinction, enthusiasm, dedication and honor; for almost four decades, she has rendered faithful, conscientious and valuable service to the Capital Region, earning the admiration, esteem and affection of her colleagues; and WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that those who enhance the quality of life in their community and have shown a long and sustained commitment to the maintenance of high standards in their profession, certainly have earned the recognition and applause of all the citizens of this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to honor Linda Egan-Johnson upon the occasion of her designation as recipient of the Mother of Pearl Award by the Frank Chapman Memorial Institute, Inc. on May 13, 2017; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Linda Egan-Johnson.