Marie Conley is a consultant focusing on engagement and stakeholder strategies and fund development for a variety of clients through her company Conley Consulting, LLC.

During her tenure in politics (1994-2009), Marie was a trusted advisor to top-level government officials and private sector organizations beginning in 1994 as the scheduler to Governor Tom Ridge. In 2009, as a senior level fundraiser, strategist and event planner, she made a successful transition from Pennsylvania’s highly competitive political landscape into the equally challenging field of non-profit development as director of Penn State Hershey’s Children’s Miracle Network. In 2012, her focus was working with Sue Paterno, wife the late Coach Joe Paterno, to assist with a number of initiatives around the issue of prevention and awareness of child sexual victimization focused in the arena of higher education. Marie continues with the national experts Stop It Now! on its Circle of Safety for Higher Education. ™

Marie never takes any professional or personal task at face value. She is always looking for ways to improve efficiencies, outcomes and most importantly calls upon herself and those around her to do the right thing for the right reasons. Her accomplishments in such a short period of time at Children’s Miracle Network are only one example.

Marie was unanimously granted Governor Emerita status by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education for her more than 13 years of service. Until she submitted her resignation in May 2016, Marie served as the Vice Chairman for the Board of Governor member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and was Chair of the Academic and Student Affairs Committee. She spearheaded significant changes in policy regarding the recruitment and hiring practices for university presidential and chancellor searches and has re-evaluated and changed the policy for university presidential evaluations. Marie was first nominated in 2002 and was re-appointed by Governor Ed Rendell in 2004 and re-appointed by Governor Tom Corbett in 2012. From 1997 to 2011, Marie served as a Council of Trustee for her alma mater, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. She played a critical role on the Board of Lincoln’s Footsteps commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. She continues to be a guest speaker and panelist on development and stakeholder engagement for a political and non-profit organizations.

But today Marie is facing her toughest battle yet. In 2012, Marie was diagnosed with Cushing’s Disease – a disease so rare it affects less than ten people per million each year. She has fought through dozens of hospital stays and numerous surgeries – including brain surgery – and still struggles daily to run her successful consulting business and a household that includes a husband and young son.

There’s a reason former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge calls Marie “one of the most indefatigable people I’ve ever known.” Because while Marie drew the short straw in being one of those ten-in-a-million with Cushing’s, she has chosen not to simply live with the disease, but to use her skills honed in political campaigns to raise awareness and to fund critical research that will help those around the world who are living with this insidious disease. Already, The Conley Cushing’s Disease Fund has raised tens of thousands of dollars to fund research, to educate doctors on the signs of Cushing’s and to support her new book, A Cushing’s Collection.

Marie is not defined by Cushing’s. She is inspired by it to help others – and to leave a legacy of hope.
Marie hails from Bucks County, Pennsylvania; she lives in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania with her husband, Chris Lammando, and their son, Carter.

The author of A Cushing’s Collection: A Humorous Journey Surviving Cushing’s Disease, Diabetes Insipidus, and a Bilateral Adrenalectomy is a member of the Cushing’s Help message boards.

From Amazon:

Diagnosed with a rare disease that only affects between two and ten people per million, Marie Conley used emails to communicate with family, friends, and co-workers to keep them apprised of the diagnosis and prognosis of Cushing’s disease and the many complications she experienced on this journey. Her ironic humor and raw, emotional approach helps bring hope to those touched by this rare and unrelenting disease.

In her mid-thirties, Conley, who strived to keep herself healthy while maintaining the delicate balance of raising a young child, keeping a home, and a demanding career, began to experience a variety of unexplained maladies inconsistent with her life style.Because of the elusive nature of Cushing’s disease, the treatment is a long and complicated process of trial and error. At this time, there is no cure, largely due to the fact that Cushing’s disease is considered an “orphan disease.” As is her nature, she has decided to “adopt” this “orphan” and is doing everything she can to bring awareness to this disease.Conley’s tenacious spirit and determination would not allow this insidious disease to triumph over her life. Armed with her laptop as the only weapon available in the sterility of the recovery room, the author attacks the keyboard with a vengeance to let friends and family know that in this battle, there is no surrender.

HOME | Sitemap | Adrenal Crisis! | Abbreviations | Glossary | Forums | Donate | Bios | Add Your Bio | Add Your Doctor | MemberMap | CushieWiki