Marco Damiani joined AHRC NYC as CEO in 2017. He believes that inclusion is not aspirational, it must be expected. As Chief Executive Officer of AHRC New York City, one of the nation’s largest human services nonprofits and a Forbes Best American Company, he leads 4,500 employees who touch the lives of 15,000 children and adults with IDD and other disabilities across New York City and beyond.
With decades of experience in nonprofit leadership, disability rights, health equity, and integrated care, Marco has dedicated his career to advancing inclusion, ensuring that people with disabilities have equal access to healthcare, education, employment, and community life. His journey began as a Direct Support Professional, where he witnessed the challenges faced by frontline staff and the inequities endured by those they support. Later, during the closure of Willowbrook State School, he saw both the failures of institutionalization and the power of collective advocacy to drive lasting change. These experiences shaped his commitment to building sustainable, equitable systems that transform lives.
Marco serves as President of the Executive Directors’ Association of The Arc New York and as a board member of the Inter-Agency Council, NY Disability Advocates, Care Design NY, Metro Community Health Centers, Public Health Solutions and Café Joyeux US. He is also a member of Dean’s Strategic Advisory Council at the NYU College of Dentistry.
His leadership has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Kriser Medal from the NYU College of Dentistry, the Opportunitas-in-Action Medal from Pace University, the Arc of the U.S. Lifetime Achievement Award, a Certificate of Special U.S. Congressional Recognition, the Unsung Hero Award from the Hudson Valley Human Rights and Holocaust Commission, and the Metro Community Health Centers Duane Schielke Health Equity Leadership Award. He has also been named an Empire BCBS Whole Healthcare Hero, a Crain’s New York Notable Leader in Healthcare, A City and State Trailblazer in Health Care and a PoliticsNY Nonprofit Power Player, with multiple citations from state and city leaders for advocacy and service.
Marco’s thought leadership has been shared through publications in JAMA, Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, and Social Work in Disability and Rehabilitation, among others. He holds an M.A. in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University, a B.S. in Psychology from Manhattan University, and pursued doctoral studies in Educational Psychology at NYU. He credits every success to colleagues, self-advocates, and families who stand for inclusion. Together, they uphold his guiding belief: to stand for a society where disability is recognized as a valued dimension of human diversity.