Andy Alongi, Director of Marketing, and Dr. Marisa M. Moore, PhD, Interim Director of Counseling Services, have been named Forty Under 40 honorees by the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce.

June 30, 2021—Marist is proud to announce that Andy Alongi, Director of Marketing, and Dr. Marisa M. Moore, PhD, Interim Director of Counseling Services, have been named honorees for the Top Forty Under 40 Mover And Shaker awards, sponsored by the Dutchess County Chamber of Commerce.

The Forty Under 40 Mover & Shaker awards are awarded each year to 40 honorees under the age of 40 who have shown a strong commitment to the Hudson River Valley.

All 40 winners are nominated for this award and then selected by a panel of judges which consists of former honorees.

Andy Alongi
Director of Marketing

During his tenure in athletics at Marist, Alongi recognized the vital role a Division I program plays in bringing the community together. He has worked with countless local businesses as sponsors to maximize exposure and drive the Hudson Valley economy. He has brought the Hudson Valley together to celebrate great accomplishments, conceptualizing, and running events like the women’s basketball selection show party at Shadows on the Hudson to share in the joy of the team making the NCAA Tournament.

Outside of his direct responsibilities, he had mentored students to use their voice and support causes that important to them, helping them plan food drives, stuffed animal collection drives, rallies against domestic violence in partnership with area nonprofits like Grace Smith House, and spearheaded Marist Athletics involvement in national awareness days like Coaches vs. Cancer and Play 4 Kay, where Andy directed Marist’s proceeds to directly benefit Miles of Hope Breast Cancer Foundation.

"It's humbling and exciting to be honored among some of the great young professionals in Dutchess County, and I see this as a recognition of all the esteemed colleagues I've had the good fortune of working within the Hudson River Valley," Alongi said. "This is a tremendous area to live and work, and my wife and I are happy to call Poughkeepsie home."

Alongi has positively impacted the community by leveraging the Marist Athletics platform to directly impact several local charities and organizations. Because of Alongi, Miles of Hope Breast Cancer Foundation has raised tens of thousands of dollars and brought awareness to the organization as they have been annually featured at a basketball game and several interviews with their founder were aired on ESPN broadcasts. In addition, survivors enjoyed special recognition and support from the community that they would have otherwise gone without. Alongi also spearheaded Marist’s involvement with the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, whose mission is to pair children afflicted with brain tumors into college sports teams.

Alongi most recently partnered with Dutchess County Government to create the “Think Differently” basketball game, a special day designed to meet the needs of local children with sensory challenges. This event was set to include adjusted in-game presentations, including, but not limited to lighting alterations, decreased audio levels, a simple video board display, and adding sensory sensitive areas for those who may need a break from the stimuli. Although this event was ultimately postponed due to the pandemic, the blueprint remains in place and Marist Athletics is committed to hosting the event – one of the first of its kind in Division I athletics – as soon as it is safe to do so.

Over the past year, as Director of Marketing, Alongi had to continually come up with ideas to draw prospective students to campus in a safe and effective manner. This has included contactless driving tours, website exposure, e-mail marketing, and text messaging campaigns. As a result, Marist saw its largest early applicant pool in school history, and exceeding deposits compared to this time two years ago, despite the ongoing pandemic.

Dr. Marisa Moore
Interim Director of Counseling Services

During her tenure at Marist, Moore has been a key contributor in making Counseling Services more accessible to students from marginalized backgrounds. She has done this by actively engaging with student groups to discuss barriers to mental health, including the impact of marginalization on wellness. She provides consultations to faculty and staff about identity and cultural nuances.

“I am so honored and moved to be nominated by my dear colleagues and peers, and to be recognized alongside some amazing folks in the county,” said Moore. “I’m grateful to call this place home.”

Since starting with Marist, Moore has become an important part of the campus and is a vocal advocate for students of color and students part of the LGBTQ community. By proving herself capable of overseeing a busy office, along with being a dedicated part of the larger Marist campus community, she recently was promoted to the position of Interim Director of Counseling Services and is working tirelessly to successfully fulfill the duties of her new role. She is a favorite of the students, faculty, and staff at Marist who know they can come to her for support, advocacy, and enthusiastic participation in campus activities.

Moore is an active member of the LGBTQ Subcommittee of the Marist Diversity Council. She consistently volunteers to lead Ally trainings, promote virtual and on-campus events, and provide feedback on campus initiatives. She served as co-chair of the committee from Fall 2017 to Fall 2019 during which she oversaw committee meetings, on-campus events, ally trainings, and reporting out to the Marist Diversity Council. She worked hard to ensure that Marist was represented in the 50th Anniversary of Pride March in NYC, facilitated an alumni panel each fall, and brought guest speakers to campus.

Moore is currently working alongside two other volunteers to revamp the Marist Ally training manual, which a yearlong project to update terminology, best practices, and education strategies for the College. She is also running the Spring 2021 Ally Training for both students and faculty, and staff.

All 40 honorees will be recognized at an upcoming awards ceremony, which will celebrate them and all they have accomplished! This celebration is open to the public and details will be announced by the Dutchess County Chamber of Commerce at a later date.