When Patricia Ann McDonald was elected mayor of Malverne, New York, beating incumbent Anthony Panzarella, who had been mayor for eight years, her success came as no surprise to her husband, Steven McDonald, a former New York City police officer paralyzed from the neck down after being shot by a teenager while on patrol in Central Park in 1986.

He told The New York Times that his wife has "a life experience of service that has prepared her for this job," adding, "what she's been through with me for the past 21 years, she's the most selfless person I've ever met." Indeed, the couple have overcome tragedy to launch a worldwide crusade for peace and forgiveness, meeting presidents and popes along the way.

After she abandoned a career in publishing to care for her husband and raise her son Conor, Patricia's work in community service has made her a public figure for decades. Politics runs in McDonald's blood: her father was a Malverne village trustee for 17 years, and when he was taken ill in 1996, Patti stepped in and filled his role for a year.

Patti's Irish roots can be traced on her father's side to Waterford and Sligo. Her mother's family came from Sligo and Cork. While raising her son, Patti included two children from Project Children of North Ireland in her home during the summers. She also helped found the Challenged Irish American Youth Team and has worked to encourage peace in Ireland, participating in peace delegations to Belfast in support of the Good Friday Agreement.

Return to Top 100