Maria Cuomo Cole and Stephanie Miner honor military veterans

As the daughter of former Gov. Mario Cuomo and the sister of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and as the wife of footwear designer Kenneth Cole, Maria Cuomo Cole has not one but two famous family names.

But Cuomo Cole has made her own mark as chairwoman of HELP USA, a major nonprofit organization providing housing and other services for homeless and low-income people.

The nonprofit, founded by Andrew Cuomo three decades ago, has also launched innovative programs directed toward military veterans, who have long made up a disproportionate share of the homeless population.

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Cuomo Cole, who took the reins 25 years ago, was honored this month with a lifetime achievement award at City & State’s annual event to recognize 10 remarkable military veterans who are still serving their communities.

“I’ve had many privileged opportunities to spend time with veterans, but this is the first time I’m actually being recognized among them,” she said during the awards ceremony. “So I’m truly humbled and very, very appreciative – and really accepting this honor on behalf of HELP USA and the talented, dedicated team that I’m privileged to work with.”

She noted that her organization has served almost half a million men, women and children, many of them military veterans. A program providing supportive services for veterans and their families serves 1,000 veterans a year, she added, with 90 percent placed in permanent homes.

Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner also made remarks at the event, recognizing the 10 honorees and then singling out Syracuse Police Chief Frank Fowler in particular for praise. Miner said that in government, in can be a challenge to inspire employees without the financial rewards that can be earned in the private sector.

“So you often think to yourself, how can you tell people, inspire people that surround us all the time?” Miner said. “And what I have found, over and over again, is that veterans lead the way on doing that. And I think it’s because service in our armed services has shown people and demonstrated that there is something bigger than ‘I,’ that it’s important to be selfless, and that when you do that, you get as much back as you are giving.”

Miner also took the opportunity to poke fun at Fowler, who was on hand to accept his award. The Syracuse mayor noted that when she was hiring him as police chief, he told her that he has a lot of sisters, a very strong mother, and a strong wife – and that he had taken orders from women his entire life.

“And so when he said that to me,” Miner said with a grin, “I thought, this is my guy.”