Genesis Ramos, executive director of the Desmond Center for Community Engagement and Wellness at Mount Saint Mary College, and Orange County State Legislature (District 6), will receive a Forty Under 40 Mover and Shaker Award from the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, April 14.

Each year, the chamber bestows the honor upon 40 individuals under the age of 40 who have shown a strong commitment to the Hudson Valley.

Nominations are judged based on professional and community achievements.

At the Mount, Ramos oversees staffing, program development, and community outreach for the college’s Desmond Center. The position is a perfect fit for her, she notes, because of her background in healthcare administration and her desire to serve the city she loves.

“There is a critical need for the Desmond Center for Community Engagement and Wellness in our community,” she said. “It’s truly an honor to be at the helm of this initiative that will become a community hub serving our community inclusively.”

As a lifelong resident of Newburgh and a first-generation daughter of Honduran immigrants, Genesis recognized the need for change in representation of our community. In being elected as the first woman of color in the Orange County Legislature, Genesis became the change she wanted to see.

“People need to be able to see themselves in others and recognize an opportunity for leadership as their own,” she noted.

Ramos holds a Master of Public Administration with a Public Management Concentration form Marist College, a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a Human Services Concentration from SUNY New Paltz; and an Associate of Science in Human Services from Orange County Community College.

In addition, she serves as chair of the City of Newburgh Human Rights Commission; co-chair of the Economic Development Committee in Newburgh; and as a member of both the Safe Harbors of the Hudson Board of Directors and the Newburgh Ministry’s Board of Directors.