LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending Dr. Marco A. Mason upon the occasion
of his designation for special recognition by the Errol Grimes Dance
Group on June 14, 2009

WHEREAS, A great community is only as great as those persons and organ-
izations that provide exemplary service, whether through participation
in voluntary programs, through unique personal achievement in their
profession or other endeavors, or simply through a lifetime of good
citizenship; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
Dr. Marco A. Mason upon the occasion of his designation for special
recognition by the Errol Grimes Dance Group at its Champions of the Arts
Tea to be held at his home on Sunday, June 14, 2009; and
WHEREAS, The Errol Grimes Dance Group, an internationally regarded
dance company based in Brooklyn, explores contemporary dance and themes
informed by an American and Afro-West Indian perspective; the company
also aims to give back to the community by mentoring young artists and
exposing them to the many facets of professional dance training and
related arts; and
WHEREAS, Its founder, Errol Grimes, who has been described as a "poet
of motion" by THE NEW YORK TIMES, seeks to convey the diversity of the
human experience through dance, storytelling, and multidisciplinary
forms of performance; and
WHEREAS, A man of singular distinction, Dr. Marco A. Mason is being
recognized by the Errol Grimes Dance Group for his unwavering support of
the dance company throughout its 20 year history; and
WHEREAS, Since his arrival to the United States from Panama, in the
early 1960s, Dr. Marco A. Mason has achieved a distinguished record of
leadership as a well-known scholar/activist; he is one of the founding
members of the Caribbean Women's Health Association, where he currently
serves a Chief Executive Officer; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Marco A. Mason has served on the faculty of a number of
colleges and universities, most recently as a clinical Associate Profes-
sor at the State University of New York at Stony Brook; School of Social
Work, School of Medicine, and School of Health Management and Technolo-
gy; and
WHEREAS, Currently, Dr. Marco A. Mason is an Adjunct Assistant Profes-
sor with the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Medgar
Evers College, City University of New York; he serves on the Advisory
Board of the Caribbean Research Center at Medgar Evers College; and the
Boards of the Caribbean-American Comprehensive Community Center, the
Caribbean Action Lobby, on the Board of Governors of the Caribbean
Public Health Association, on the Advisory Board of the University
Hospital of Brooklyn, SUNY Downstate Medical Center; he is also a promi-
nent member of the Public Health Association of New York City; and
WHEREAS, Additionally, Dr. Marco A. Mason has served on the Community
Advisory Board of Brookdale Hospital; he serves on the Advisory Council
of New York State Refugee and Immigrant Health Professional Transition
Initiative, New York Immigration Coalition and the Advisory Board of
Bellevue Hospital's Occupational and Environmental Health Clinic; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Marco A. Mason also serves on the Executive Committee of
Providence Clinical Society; he is the Vice-Chairman of New York City
Community Board 9; he has served on the Advisory Board of New York State
Developmental Disabilities Planning Council, New York City Fatality
Review Panel, New York State Governor's Advisory Committee for Black
Affairs' Caribbean Immigrants Panel, and the National Resource Person

Network of the Office of Minority Health at the United States Department
of Health and Human Services; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Marco A. Mason is a technical expert in United States
Immigration Policy and is duly accredited to practice Immigration Law
before the Immigration and Naturalization Court and the Board of Immi-
gration Appeals; he was cited by the United States Department of Justice
for his "Outstanding services in assisting immigrants with status
adjustments"; and
WHEREAS, A seasoned global traveler with extensive educational and
professional-related international tours throughout Africa, Asia, the
Middle East, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Dr. Marco A. Mason
serves as a United Nations Social and Economic Council's accredited
delegate to the United Nations International Conferences as an official
representative of non-governmental organizations; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Marco A. Mason is a passionate Public Health and Immi-
gration Policy Advocate; as a consultant, he serves a number of private,
public, and international sectors organizations; his principal scholarly
interests include: US Immigration Policy Impact on Ethnic Communities,
Delivering Culturally Competent Services to Ethnic Groups, Patterns of
Caribbean Immigration to the United States; he has a Doctorate in Social
Welfare (Immigration and Health Policy) from the City University of New
York; and
WHEREAS, In recognition of his efforts of in-depth magnitude, Dr.
Marco A. Mason is the recipient of more than 50 awards and citations for
"Dedicated service rendered to the Caribbean-American Community" as
recognized by the National coverage in special feature story "MARCO
MASON: A CHAMPION OF ETHNICITY" February 1998, issue of THE MEDICAL
HERALD, "America's Premier National Urban Monthly Newspaper"; and
WHEREAS, Throughout the entire period of his service, a period of
constructive involvement, Dr. Marco A. Mason has stood constant in
dignity, good grace and humor; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Marco A. Mason's unwavering commitment, extraordinary
intelligence and exemplary leadership have significantly contributed to
the enrichment of the quality of life for all the citizens of this great
Empire State; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individ-
uals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten-
tion, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of
the great State of New York; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend Dr. Marco A. Mason upon the occasion of his designation for
special recognition by the Errol Grimes Dance Group on June 14, 2009;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Dr. Marco A. Mason.