U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy read into the Congressional Record a statement in honor of his service to the community.
GLEN COVE, NY, September 25, 2020 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Francis De Mita with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Mr. De Mita celebrates many years' experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Born in Queens, New York in 1927, Mr. De Mita graduated from Stuyvesant High School in New York City before enrolling at New York University (NYU) in pursuit of an engineering degree. Shortly after the conclusion of his first semester, he was drafted to the United States Army, serving for two years before returning to NYU. Earning a Bachelor of Science in 1950, Mr. De Mita eventually graduated from NYU with a Master of Arts in mathematics and computer science in 1951.
Driven to not only teach the subject, but instill in his students a love of mathematics, Mr. De Mita began his career with Bedford Park Academy in 1951. Two years later, he transferred to Valley Stream Central High School, for which he taught and flourished as the chairman of the mathematics department until his retirement in 1990. During his decades-long career as a high school teacher, he implemented a number of programs that included serving as Valley Stream Central High Schools' inaugural director of student activities and teacher of advanced placement calculus, and creating a liberal arts mathematics course for seniors and first year student council members. Mr. De Mita's guidance led the Student Council to receive letters from Richard Nixon and the President Kennedy Peace Corps for their dedication to cleaning up their community and helping to build schools in Botswana and Micronesia.
While working as a teacher with Valley Stream Central High School, Mr. De Mita also obtained a certificate in financial management from Cornell University. He subsequently taught at the collegiate level, becoming active as an assistant professor for Queensborough Community College until 1996. Outside of his responsibilities in education, Mr. De Mita dedicated his time and efforts to the Nassau Educators Federal Credit Union as an elected official.
In addition to contributing to credit union magazines and speaking at related conferences, Mr. De Mita helped to pass a law during the Clinton Administration that would allow anyone in the country to join a credit union. In addition to his elected positions, he was affiliated with the Valley Stream Chamber of Commerce, the Glenwood Landing chapter of the American Legion and the Valley Stream Lions Club. Notably assembling a scholarship program for special education students, Mr. De Mita was active as a board member for Northwell Health, formerly known as North Shore LIJ.
In light of his outstanding body of work, Mr. De Mita has been honored many times, receiving National Science Foundation grants during the early years of his career. He also accepted the Volunteer of the Year Award from the National Association of Federal Credit Unions in 1981, a Citation from the U.S. Congress in 1982, the Nassau BOCES Education Partner Award and the Trustees Award for Community Service from PBS. In 2004, U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy read into Congressional Record a statement in honor of his service to the community. More recently, he was featured in professional publications such as Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the East, Who's Who in the World and Who's Who in American Education. Looking forward, Mr. De Mita intends to enjoy his well-deserved retirement.
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Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® now publishes many Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in America®, Who's Who in the World®, Who's Who in American Law®, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare®, Who's Who in Science and Engineering®, and Who's Who in Asia®. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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