Therese Daly

Therese Daly became President and CEO of the United Way of New York State and 211 New York Inc. in January 2025 — and spent her first year proving the appointment was no placeholder. She arrived with a resume built for exactly this kind of statewide advocacy role: Chief Advocacy and Government Affairs Officer at the NY Association of Training and Employment Professionals, Vice President at Mercury Public Affairs in both Albany and New York City, and, before that, Director of Correspondence for Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, where she coordinated engagement with advocacy groups, lobbyists, and government agencies through the height of the state's COVID-19 response.

That background shows in the results. In her first year at the helm, Daly secured more than $10 million in new funding to support the organization's growth and expand services statewide — while also elevating the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) framework into the mainstream of Albany's policy conversations, reframing how legislators and the media talk about New Yorkers who are working but still struggling to get by. On the legislative side, her advocacy for 2-1-1 New York, the statewide helpline connecting residents to housing, food, and mental health resources, helped secure a further $2.8 million in the most recent enacted state budget.

As one peer nominator put it, Daly "is a trusted voice in Albany and across the state" — a reputation reflected in recognitions including City & State's 40 Under 40, its 2026 list of Top Individuals in Government Relations, and, most recently, Crain's New York Business 40 Under 40. A Siena College political science graduate, she also chairs the Shaker Heritage Society and co-chairs the Endorsement Committee for Eleanor's Legacy — civic commitments colleagues say reflect the same practical, coalition-first instinct she brings to her day job.