Maria Gerace
About Maria Gerace
Maria Gerace is a Community Engagement Manager with extensive experience in developing strategies to enhance collaboration among healthcare providers and community organizations. She has held various roles in social work and community engagement across several organizations in Greater Cleveland since 2010.
Work at Unite Us
Maria Gerace serves as the Community Engagement Manager at Unite Us, a position she has held since 2020. In this role, she develops and implements community engagement strategies aimed at enhancing collaboration between healthcare providers and community organizations. Her work focuses on expanding the network of community partners to improve service delivery and support for underserved populations in Greater Cleveland.
Previous Experience in Community Engagement
Before joining Unite Us, Maria Gerace worked as a Program Manager at Jonathan Rose Companies from 2019 to 2020. She also served as a Social Work Case Manager for Medicare Advantage at CareSource from 2016 to 2019. Earlier in her career, she was the Community Wraparound Site Coordinator at West Side Community House from 2013 to 2016. These roles contributed to her expertise in community engagement and service delivery.
Education and Expertise
Maria Gerace holds a Bachelor of Social Work from Cleveland State University, where she studied from 2007 to 2009. She furthered her education at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University, earning a Master of Science in Social Administration with a focus on Community and Social Development from 2011 to 2012. Her educational background supports her work in community engagement and social services.
Background in Social Services
Maria Gerace's career in social services began at Applewood Centers Inc, where she worked as a CPST, ECMH, Special Needs, and School-Based Counselor from 2010 to 2011. She also gained experience as a Graduate Intern in the Congressional District Office of Dennis Kucinich from 2011 to 2012 and served as an Executive Assistant for Cleveland City Council's Ward 14 from 2012 to 2013. These positions provided her with a strong foundation in community and social service work.
Community Workshops and Training
In her current role and previous positions, Maria Gerace has facilitated workshops and training sessions aimed at educating community members on accessing healthcare resources and navigating insurance benefits. These initiatives are part of her commitment to enhancing community engagement and improving access to essential services for underserved populations.