Assemblywoman RoAnn M. Destito 116th Assembly District (Part of Oneida County - the cities of Utica and Rome along with the towns of Marcy and Floyd)
RoAnn Destito, Assemblywoman for the 116th district, resides in Rome with her husband Chris and their four-year-old son, Christopher. Chris is a partner in a third-generation family business in Rome. The Destito family owns the Savoy Restaurant, the Beeches Conference Center and the Paul Revere Motel.
RoAnn Maggiolino Destito was born in Utica on January 15, 1956. Her father, Maurice Maggiolino, a World War II veteran, was a Utica firefighter for nearly 30 years. Her mother, Rose DeTraglia Maggiolino, was a public health nurse for almost 40 years.
After graduating from Utica Catholic Academy, RoAnn earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Relations at LeMoyne College. She returned to Oneida County after graduating and has lived and worked here ever since.
RoAnn was re-elected to the Assembly in 1994. First elected in 1992, RoAnn has dedicated her efforts towards reviving Oneida county's economy and fighting crime. As a first term Assemblymember, RoAnn was instrumental in securing over $6 million in state funds to help workers displaced by the realignment of Griffiss Air Force Base. She worked diligently to convince federal officials of the importance of keeping the Rome Laboratory in operation to save as many local jobs as possible. RoAnn currently serves on the board of the Griffiss Local Development Corporation, a group established to encourage business development at Griffiss Air Force Base. She previously chaired the Griffiss Redevelopment Planning Council's Rome Lab Sub-Committee. She was successful in having Rome designated an Economic Development zone providing new and expanding businesses with incentives such as tax breaks and decreased utility rates.
RoAnn is a member of the Harbor Point Task Force. The task force is working to harness the development potential of the Harbor Point area in North Utica. She also worked to revitalize Oneida county's economy by expediting the construction of the Wal-Mart retail distribution center in Marcy, which brought 700 new jobs to Oneida County.
RoAnn's desire to make her community a better, safer place to live has been an important part of her first term in the Assembly. She sponsored legislation creating a new anti-crime program, TRIAD, coordinating police services to better protect senior citizens. She also secured funding to help create an anti-drug task force called COMBAT and an anti-violence program for the Utica City Schools.
RoAnn also sponsored a legislative package to stop child victimization. Named after abducted Herkimer County twelve-year-old Sara Anne Wood, the package includes a law designed to locate missing children quicker and keep track of convicted sexual offenders. one law requires missing children's birth and school records to be highlighted, triggering an inquiry into the child's whereabouts when a copy is requested. The package also allows New York Courts to issue search warrants for evidence of crimes committed in other states.
RoAnn serves on the Assembly Aging; Agriculture; Economic Development, Job creation, commerce, and Industry; Labor; Mental Health; and Small Business Committees. she is a member of the Majority steering Committee and the Sub-Committee on Special Problems of the Aging. She is a member of the Legislative Commission on science and Technology. RoAnn also serves on the Assembly Task Forces on Economic Development, Public Authority Oversight and Workers' Compensation.
Destito made history when she was recently appointed to the first Joint Assembly-Senate Conference Committee charged with developing legislation to increase speed limits on certain New York State highways to 65 miles per hour.
RoAnn's dedication to community service precedes her election to the Assembly. She has served as President of the YWCA and on the board of the March of Dimes. RoAnn served on the board of the Senior citizens council of Rome. She still serves on the Kid-York Child Care Coordinating council, which she helped found. RoAnn also serves on the Board of Regents at LeMoyne College.
Her previous community service also includes extensive work with Project DARE, the Oneida County Teen Pregnancy coalition, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Oneida County Runaway and Homeless Youth Advisory Board, and the National Council on Alcoholism. RoAnn is also former president of the Business and Professional Women's Club of Rome.
RoAnn is a past recipient of the Business and Professional Women's Club Woman of the Year award and the YWCA "Salute to Outstanding Women in Government' award.
