JAMAICA, NY.- Mary Ann Mattone has been elected President of Queens Library's Board of Trustees. This continues a distinguished career in community service and volunteerism dedicated to improving the lives of New Yorkers. Mrs. Mattone is also a member of the Queens Library Foundation's Board of Directors and has co-chaired three of its annual gala fund-raisers.

"Mary Ann Mattone is an important and vital member of the Queens Library Board of Trustees. She has consistently given of her time and talents to enhance our ability to provide first-rate library service to the people of Queens. I know that she will continue to demonstrate leadership and a passion for the people of Queens in her new role as President and I look forward to working with her in taking the Queens Library to even greater levels of achievement," noted Library Director Thomas W. Galante.

A native New Yorker, Mrs. Mattone was graduated as a Registered Nurse from Lenox Hill School of Nursing and earned her Bachelors degree in Psychology from Marymount College. She earned a Masters degree in Public Health from Columbia University.

Her varied and interesting career includes living abroad as an English teacher; posts such as Research Coordinator for adult neuroendocrine studies in depression and schizophrenia for Dr. Edward J. Sachar, Chairman of Psychiatry at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Director of Psychiatry at Bronx Municipal Hospital; Acting Director of Nursing and Co-Director of the Child Depression Clinic of Columbia University at New York State Psychiatric Institute.

The co-author of 26 scientific articles in the field of psychiatric research while affiliated with Columbia University, Mrs. Mattone left academic life for a few years to work as a broker on Wall Street, where she gained financial experience. She subsequently joined the family real estate business, and used that knowledge to manage various multi-unit properties and coordinating renovations and building conversions to condominiums in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut areas.

Mrs. Mattone has been involved in a number of philanthropic pursuits. She served as vice president, treasurer and president of the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Columbus Citizens Foundation; she was Mayor Giuliani's representative at the Queens Botanical Garden and was an active fundraiser for them; she was appointed by the Mayor as a member of the Cultural Advisory Board of the City of New York until 2002. She is an active member of the Foundation of York College and the Italian Cultural Center of St. John's University. In addition, she volunteers time or raises money for educational and Italian cultural organizations, Special Olympics, St. Vincent/Catholic Medical Center, the Queens Parks Department, Ozanam Hall Nursing Home, abused and at-risk youth, the frail elderly, and has participated in outreach programs for the Don Monti Research Foundation at North Shore University Hospital providing treatment and support services for children and adults suffering from cancer.

The Mattones enjoy the "blessings and challenge" of an extended family of 8 children and 27 grandchildren. They reside in Douglaston, New York.

The Board of Trustees is Queens Library's governing body, consisting of 19 members. In addition, the Mayor, Speaker of the City Council, Comptroller, Public Advocate and Queens Borough President are ex-officio members. Trustees serve without remuneration for a term of five years. Mrs. Mattone was first appointed to the Board of Trustees in 1999.

Queens Library is an independent, not-for-profit corporation and is not affiliated with any other library system. The Queens Library serves a population of 2.2 million in the most ethnically diverse county in the United States. With a record 21 million items in circulation for Fiscal Year 2007, the Library has the highest circulation of any public library system in the U.S. and one of the highest circulations in the world.