Hoover 
Mannella
Nicole Hoover and Katie Mannella have been named the volunteer co-chairs for the 2020 Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s–Utica/Rome.
As co-chairwomen, Hoover and Mannella will work with their staff partners to recruit, retain and coach walkers and teams participating in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, which takes place April 26 at SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s Campus Center in Utica.
“We’re proud to have Katie and Nicole on our team,” said Catherine James, chief executive officer for the Alzheimer’s Association, Central New York Chapter. “They come from different backgrounds, but like those who come together on Walk day, they are united by their desire to end this insidious disease.”
Mannella, a Utica native, got involved with Walk to End Alzheimer’s when her grandmother was diagnosed a number of years ago. She joined the planning committee two years ago and agreed to co-chair the event this year. Mannella is a graduate of SUNY Poly and employed by CONMED.
Hoover, who resides in Clinton, joined the planning committee for the Utica/Rome Walk last year, but she’s no stranger to the event. She first got involved with the Alzheimer’s Association and Walk to End Alzheimer’s in 2013 when she lived in the Hudson Valley, after both of her grandmothers were diagnosed with the disease. She was previously chair of the Orange/Sullivan County Walk in 2016 and 2017. Hoover, who graduated from Hartwick College with a bachelor’s degree and Marist College with an MBA, is the event and management coordinator for the Society for Learning Analytics Research.
The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research programs. On Walk day, participants will honor those affected by Alzheimer’s disease with Promise Flowers during the poignant Promise Garden Ceremony – a moving display of hope to represent the personal reasons participants join together to fight Alzheimer’s.
More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease – the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Additionally, more than 16 million family members and friends provide care to people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
For more information on the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s, visit alz.org/walk.