Honor Theresa E. Taylor

Senate Resolution No. 1314 BY: Senator BRESLIN HONORING Theresa E. Taylor upon the occasion of her designation as recipient of the Excellence in Public Service Award by the University at Albany Alumni Association 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; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Theresa E. Taylor upon the occasion of her designation as recipient of the Excellence in Public Service Award by the University at Albany Alumni Association to be celebrated with a Gala on May 4, 2019, at Wolfert's Roost, Albany, New York; and WHEREAS, This auspicious award recognizes alumni for outstanding contributions to local, state or national communities generally, but not exclusively, through opportunities in appointed or elected office or public service nonprofit organizations; and WHEREAS, After earning a bachelor's degree from Hartwick College, Theresa E. Taylor earned master's degrees in both social work and criminal justice through the University at Albany's (UAlbany) dual degree program; and WHEREAS, Theresa E. Taylor came to UAlbany after working several years as Coordinator of Advocacy and Governance for the Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York; she later took a position as Project Manager with Happy Kids Foundation in Ghana, where she discovered her passion for helping migrant, trafficked and stateless child populations; and WHEREAS, In rural Ghana, Theresa E. Taylor managed an orphanage with approximately 50 abused, abandoned and neglected children, as well as a school which served 150 children; in this capacity, she created and implemented income-generating programs, projects to improve health and nutrition of the children and academic interventions to improve school performance; and WHEREAS, Following her experience in Ghana, and at the height of the

2014 migration crisis, Theresa E. Taylor served as Assistant Director for Foster Care at Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) in Baltimore, where she oversaw more than 20 foster care agencies across the United States; she returned to LIRS again in 2018 to help children fleeing persecution and community violence in their home countries; and WHEREAS, From 2016 to 2018, Theresa E. Taylor served as Social Services Program Specialist for the United States Department of Health and Human Services; she oversaw the administration of the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG), and was the lead staff member for supplemental disaster relief funding to five states in long-term recovery from Hurricane Sandy; and WHEREAS, Theresa E. Taylor has remained active in Ghana by serving on the Community in Action for Self Help Projects Board which seeks to eradicate health, education and income disparities in rural farming communities; and WHEREAS, In addition, she has implemented agro-livelihood programs including animal husbandry and farming programs for homes of abused, abandoned and neglected children; she also secured a startup grant for the implementation of a pilot program to support farmers growing orange-fleshed sweet potatoes to address vitamin A deficiencies among pregnant and parenting women and young children; and WHEREAS, Theresa E. Taylor currently serves as Deputy Director of the Choice Program at the Shriver Center at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; and WHEREAS, With a steadfast and unwavering commitment to public service, Theresa E. Taylor has dedicated her life to helping those in need and sharing her passion and expertise with others; she recently visited the UAlbany School of Social Welfare to share her experiences regarding the recent refugee crisis and participated in a continuing education event for alumni of the Master of Social Work program; and WHEREAS, Rare indeed is the impressive dedication shown by an individual for the benefit of others which Theresa E. Taylor has displayed throughout her life; and WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body that when individuals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our attention, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to honor Theresa E. Taylor upon the occasion of her designation as recipient of the Excellence in Public Service Award by the University at Albany Alumni Association; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Theresa E. Taylor.