January 2017 Honoree
Ann-Marie T. Orlowski, LMSW
CEO, Cradle Beach
www.cradlebeach.org
Our January 2017 “Woman in Leadership” is Ann-Marie Orlowski, the new CEO of Cradle Beach. Ann-Marie, a Lancaster resident, has 25 years of experience working in child welfare. She worked at Gateway-Longview, Inc. for 23 years and most recently was director of foster care and community based services at GA Family Services Foster Care Program. Ann-Marie was an adjunct faculty member at UB’s Graduate School of Social Work for 10 years, as well as a guest lecturer at various local colleges. She is a member of the Leadership Buffalo Class of 2012, and is a board member of Kaely’s Kindness Foundation.
She was seven-years-old when she was placed in foster care with a family that would eventually adopt her. Orlowski’s experience as a foster child and adopted child, and her time spent as a foster parent has given her a unique perspective when dealing with children throughout her career. Ann-Marie served as vice president of community services and director of foster care at Gateway-Longview Inc. And now she will head operations at Cradle Beach, Inc., which is located on 66 acres near Lake Erie in Angola. Cradle Beach Camp provides services for disadvantaged and disabled youth and works in collaboration with the Buffalo Public schools serving 270 children in five schools.