The Daily Record Names Cari DeSantis to Maryland’s Top 100 Women List

Melwood’s President and CEO to be honored at award ceremony in April

UPPER MARLBORO, Md., March 11, 2017 — The Daily Record named Cari DeSantis, Melwood’s President & CEO, to its 2017 listing of Maryland’s Top 100 Women.

The Daily Record introduced Maryland’s Top 100 Women in 1996 to recognize outstanding achievements by women demonstrated through professional accomplishments, community leadership, and mentoring.

DeSantis joined Melwood in 2013 as President & CEO at the apex of a long career in health care and social services, including serving two terms as cabinet secretary for the Delaware Department of Service for Children, Youth and Families, overseeing public policy for Casey Family Programs Foundation, working in hospital administration, and consulting on best practices with states and nonprofit organizations around the nation.

Under her leadership, Melwood expanded operations and implemented business practices that resulted in significant increases in both revenue and the employment of people with differing abilities.

“I am honored to be recognized in this way for our accomplishments working with Melwood over the past four years,” said DeSantis. “My team and I will continue pursuing excellence in service to our community and the region so that people with differing abilities have many more opportunities to join the American workforce.”

A record number of 435 women were nominated this year for the statewide honor. Nominees were asked to complete an application outlining their educational and career history, professional and community involvement, corporate and nonprofit board memberships, and mentoring experience. They were encouraged to submit letters of recommendation from those who are familiar with their accomplishments professionally, in the community and through mentoring.

"Each of this year's Maryland's Top 100 Women honorees excels in her unique endeavors, yet all share common traits. They are successful women who are committed to helping others and creating change," said Suzanne Fischer-Huettner, publisher of The Daily Record. "They inspire those around them everyday, and for that commitment to excellence and to mentoring future generations of leaders, The Daily Record is honored to recognize their achievements."

The awards event will be held on April 24th at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Winners will be profiled in a special magazine insert in the April 25th issue of The Daily Record, and available online at www.TheDailyRecord.com.

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About Melwood:

Melwood is a nonprofit organization that advocates for and empowers people of differing abilities to transform their own lives through unique opportunities to work and play in the community. Since 1963, Melwood has envisioned a world in which people with differing abilities are fully included. Using an innovative and effective social entrepreneurial model, Melwood offers job training, employment, life skill improvement, community support, and recreation opportunities to more than 2000 people each year in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area and throughout the State of Maryland. Melwood operates a training program graduating approximately 100 workers with differing abilities each year and employs more than 1,700 workers annually, including over 800 persons with differing abilities. For more information visit www.melwood.org. 

About The Daily Record:

The Daily Record, a multimedia news source, publishes a print and online edition five days a weekand breaks news daily on its website, www.TheDailyRecord.com. In addition, The Daily Record publishes more than 30 special products a year including Path to Excellence: A Women's Guide to Business, Doing Business in Maryland and Cyber Report. The Daily Record also honors leading Marylanders through seven annual awards events including Maryland's Top 100 Women, Influential Marylanders and Most Admired CEOs. Its Digital Marketing Solutions helps customers with social media, search engine marketing and optimization, retargeting, email marketing and more. The Daily Record is part of BridgeTower Media, one of the country’s leading business-to-business media companies with 44 print and digital publications in more than 20 U.S. markets.