Capital Region’s top Leader of Impact is CDTA leader

Steve Wacksman, Albany Transportation Superintendent at CDTA, has been named the American Heart Association Capital Region 2024 Leaders of Impact™ winner for his work driving equitable cardiovascular health in the community. In the Capital Region, life expectancy varies by nine years[1] which can often be caused by social drivers of health, deeply rooted inequities related to public policies, institutional practices, cultural representations and other norms which often reinforce inequities in health.

Jessica Pettengill, left, development director at the American Heart Association, presents Steve Wacksman, Albany Transportation Superintendent at CDTA, with the award for being the winning Leader of Impact in the Capital Region Heart Ball campaign.

Wacksman and the other Leaders of Impact will be celebrated at the Capital Region Heart Ball on Friday, Feb. 28 at the Albany Capital Center.

“Steve’s, and all of our nominees’ steadfast efforts, are helping to ensure everyone across the Capital Region has equitable opportunities for a longer, healthier life,” said Casey Toomajian, CEO of Hometown Health and chair of the 2025 Capital Region Heart Ball: A Masquerade Affair.  “By ensuring access to quality healthcare and addressing health disparities we are strengthening our collective future, creating a healthier, more vibrant community for generations to come.”

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S.1 In addition, an aging, more diverse population, along with a significant increase in heart disease and stroke risk factors among younger people, are expected to nearly triple the nation’s price tag on cardiovascular disease (CVD) by 2050, according to new published projections from the American Heart Association. 

Over the course of seven weeks, Wacksman participated in a fundraising competition alongside three other Capital Region professionals. Wacksman was named the 2024 Leaders of Impact winner after raising the most funds in the competition.

“Taking part in Leaders of Impact was personal for me because we all have loved ones that have suffered from a heart attack or stroke,” said Wacksman.  We are working to ensure everyone everywhere in our community can live a longer, healthier life.”

For more than 100 years, the American Heart Association has driven change by removing barriers to health, investing in groundbreaking research, educating health care professionals and patients, and advocating for healthy policies. In the Capital Region, the Association is specifically focused on building the Nation of Lifesavers by teaching Hands-Only CPR throughout the community, and lowering blood pressure.   

Leaders of Impact launched on Oct. 17 in hundreds of cities across the nation and culminated on Dec. 4. Each nominee’s participation is focused on opportunities to be a changemaker with a shared purpose to raise critical awareness and fund the mission of the American Heart Association.

Other local nominees included:  

  • Adnan Bakar, pediatric cardiologist, Albany Med Health System
  • Matthew Byers, district sales coordinator, AFLAC
  • Karl Meehan, licensed real estate salesperson, Core Real Estate

For more information about Leaders of Impact and a list of all the 2024 nominees, please visit leadersofimpact.heart.org. For information about the Capital Region Heart Ball, visit www.heart.org/heartball518.


[1] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data-visualization/life-expectancy/