SCHENECTADY — Marcy Steiner will be honored for a lifetime of service at a farewell reception Thursday as she steps down from her role as vice president and executive director of the Foundation for Ellis Medicine.
The event, hosted by the foundation’s board of directors, will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Desmond Hotel in Colonie as Steiner is honored by her peers and community members.
Steiner served as director of major gifts at Ellis Medicine from 2011 to 2016 before leaving for a position as vice president of development and external affairs at SUNY Schenectady County Community College.
She returned to Ellis for a second stint beginning in August 2017 and said she was proud of the accomplishments she accumulated during her second term with the organization.
“It’s been a real privilege and an honor to be here at Ellis right now in this role,” Steiner said Wednesday. “I have had the pleasure of working with an extraordinary group of senior leaders under [Ellis CEO] Paul Milton. I have worked in healthcare for over 30 years and can say that the group of leaders here at Ellis are absolutely excellent and among the best I have ever worked with.
Steiner added that her most cherished memory from her second stint at Ellis is how the community stepped up during the COVID-19 pandemic to care for those less fortunate in the community.
“I think it was an amazing opportunity for all of us to come together and help each other through a very difficult time,” she said.
Steiner also highlighted launching the foundation’s fundraising campaign to raise money for the group’s Roswell Park Care Network site as a major accomplishment during his tenure. The Ellis Medicine and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, which opened in 2021, offers a wide range of cancer treatment options.
Steiner, 68, is retiring at the end of the year and plans to leave Niskayuna to return to his hometown of Buffalo to be closer to his family, including his 98-year-old mother.
“I have a big extended family there,” she said. “I have a mother that I will see more of and I have grandchildren and many siblings. So I’m going to go back west to the snowbelt. So I dusted off my shovel and my window scraper and I’m heading west.
Steiner and her late husband Chuck moved to Schenectady in 2001, with Chuck serving as president of the Schenectady County Chamber of Commerce before his death in April 2017.
Steiner said that with his retirement in sight, Chuck was often on his mind.
“We came here together and fell in love with Schenectady together,” she said. “He believed so much in this community and we really tried to support the people and the community in any way we could. So I think about Chuck a lot these days.
Capital Region Chamber Speaker Mark Eagan worked with Chuck Steiner for nearly a decade in the chamber and praised Marcy for her impact on the community.
“For me, I think what sets Marcy apart is her zest for life,” Eagan said. “Marcy is someone who really connects with people. She’s quick with a smile and she’s very relatable. So there are so many organizations in the community that have taken advantage of that. Part of the DNA of Marcy, I think even growing up, is to be civically engaged.
Steiner said the Dec. 1 event will be a casual gathering as she bids an early farewell to her co-workers and neighbors.
“I will miss the staff and amazing community at Schenectady,” she said. “They are absolutely extraordinary.”
Ellis Medicine Foundation board member Neil Golub said Steiner will be missed when she retires at the end of 2022.
“She’s a special woman,” Golub said. “She led the development office with skill and precision. I worked with her through two major Ellis fundraising campaigns and we got things done. I recommended her for the job and knew she would do a great job and she did.
Steiner said Karen Mantas has been named as his successor. Mantas has served as director of advancement for the Ellis Foundation since 2007 and will now step into Steiner’s previous position from January 1.
“Karen and I have worked together for a long time and I’m thrilled to have her take on this new role and I know she will do an amazing job,” Steiner said. “I look forward to seeing all the wonderful things and great accomplishments that will be made under his leadership.”
Steiner, who has served on The Daily Gazette’s board since 2018, began his career as a journalist, writing for the Niagara Gazette and The Buffalo News.
Milton, president and CEO of Ellis Medicine, said Steiner had an outsized impact during her time at the foundation.
“Marcy expertly led the philanthropic efforts of Ellis Medicine as executive director of our foundation,” he noted in a statement. “During her time here, she never lost sight of improving patient care and expanding access to health care in the community. Under Marcy’s leadership, the foundation launched the $25 million Generations of Health campaign in 2020 to generate support for cancer care, mental health services and surgical technologies – a monumental fundraising effort that will approaching the finish line. She and the foundation team have also been instrumental in rallying community support for projects such as our expansion of child and youth mental health at 1023 State Street and the development of the Roswell Park Care Network site on campus. from Ellis Hospital. Marcy’s vision and positive attitude have long served as an example to all who have worked alongside her. She will be sincerely missed.”
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