Mary Louise Cohen

Mary Louise Cohen is an active leader in her community, working to improve the lives of those who live in Bay Shore and beyond.

She was a member of the Bay Shore Board of Education for 15 years, serving three terms as President and three as Vice President. Twice, she was awarded the SCOPE School Board Award of Excellence. She received the New York State School Board Award for Master of Boardmanship and was recognized with the NYS School Board Developmental Achievement Citation.

Ms. Cohen served on the Board of Reform Educational Financing Inequities Today, where she served as President for three terms. She was appointed to serve on the Federal Relations Network, lobbying for changes in education. She also served on the Long Island Education Coalition for four years, and held the position of Director of Public Affairs for St. George’s University, main campus in Grenada, West Indies from 2000-2004.

A board member and Treasurer of the Bay Shore Arts Education Foundation, Ms. Cohen is also a member of the Bay Shore Wellness Alliance, where she served on the Nutrition Committee – working to educate, develop policy and implement changes.

She co-chaired the Town of Islip Anti-Bias Task Force, and helped develop the Ambassador Program for eight school districts; the Program received a Human Rights Award from Suffolk County in 2015. Ms. Cohen now serves on the Unity Council for the Town of Islip.

Ms. Cohen has served on the O-Co’Nee Association for 29 years, where she was President for six years, and currently serves as Secretary.

In addition, she was President of the Bay Shore Summit Council. Prior to this role, Ms. Cohen was a member of the Summit Executive Council, where she established the Bay Shore Beautification Society subcommittee. She also co-chaired the Code Enforcement Committee and the Summit Council Spruce Up Bay Shore initiative. She is a graduate of the Cornell Master Gardener Program, focusing her efforts to transform Bay Shore into a pollinator community.

Ms. Cohen earned a Master’s degree in Political Science and Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Journalism from the University of Kentucky. She and her husband are the proud parents of two sons, Andrew and Matthew.