Born and raised in New York, Maria is one of the founders of AACW and has held membership since its inception. Through the organization, as a board member, she hopes to inspire our youth to have greater awareness of their Albanian culture and assist them with opportunities to embrace their heritage. Maria feels exceptionally fortunate, especially living in Westchester for its proximity to surrounding areas, to collaborate and strengthen the Albanian community with other local residents and business owners. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems and a Master of Science in both Information Technology and Childhood Education. Initially having an established career as a Network Analyst, Maria made a career change from Technology Management to becoming an Elementary School Teacher. In the IT world, she enjoyed working for companies such as Mastercard International, Lockheed Martin, and Heineken USA, to name a few. The significant transition from being a corporate consultant and the business trips that came along with her profession to working school hours instead definitely allowed for more time to focus on family life. This was all while supporting the administrative needs of an HVAC company, Lemako Comfort Inc., which she and Leonardo, her husband, have owned for over 22 years. Together, they have three children - the "A" team: Anthony, Arianna, and Adelina, with whom they love to spend most of their time. Being together is the center of their lives, whether it's at the beach or the ski slopes, biking, concerts, or just enjoying their basketball, soccer, and volleyball games. In addition to family and business, Maria has volunteered since she was a young teenager to the present day at Our Lady of Shkodra Church in Hartsdale, NY. Other volunteer work includes parent-teacher associations and fundraising for good causes such as coat and toy drives. Maria a.k.a. Marie, currently resides with her family in Tuckahoe, NY.