Alexandra Maliwacki ’08
Alexandra Maliwacki ’08, G ’10: Building Communities, Inspiring Leaders
Long before she became a chief operating officer overseeing the lives and well-being of hundreds of residents, Alexandra Maliwacki ’08, G ’10, was a high school student in Liverpool, New York, searching for a career that combined leadership with purpose.
The answer came from an unlikely place: a gerontology elective.
As part of the course, Maliwacki visited retirement communities and nursing homes throughout her hometown, Liverpool, NY. What began as a classroom experience quickly became a calling. She discovered a field that blended business, leadership, and service to others, exactly the combination she was looking for.
“My grandfather always said I was going to be a boss someday,” she recalls with a laugh. “He encouraged me to be a leader from a young age.”
When it came time to choose a college, SUNY Poly stood out because of its Health Services Management program and minor in gerontology. It offered a direct path toward her goal of becoming a nursing home administrator.
That goal never wavered.
Maliwacki completed her bachelor’s degree in just three years, which included taking advantage of a university-sponsored internship opportunity in the Orlando, Florida, area. What was supposed to be a semester-long experience became the launchpad for a career.
“I loved the area, but I also saw the opportunity,” she says. “Florida has a large aging population, and I felt there would be room to grow in the field.”
While building her professional experience, she continued her education through SUNY Poly’s master’s program, balancing work and graduate studies. By the time she earned her master’s degree in 2010, she had already achieved the goal she set for herself years earlier by becoming a licensed nursing home administrator.
Today, nearly two decades after entering the profession, Maliwacki serves as chief operating officer at Plymouth Harbor on Sarasota Bay, a continuing care retirement community that serves nearly 400 residents across independent living, assisted living, memory care, rehabilitation, and skilled nursing services.
Although her responsibilities have expanded dramatically over the years, her focus remains rooted in people.
“My job is helping to turn our mission into an actual experience that people can feel everyday,” she says. “It’s about supporting staff so they can be at their best and provide the best experience for our residents.”
Looking back, Maliwacki credits SUNY Poly’s close-knit environment with helping shape both her confidence and leadership style. With small class sizes and meaningful interactions with professors, she felt challenged, supported, and seen.
“I wasn’t just a number,” she says. “The relationships I built with faculty and classmates helped me grow in ways that a larger university might not have.”
Today, she remains actively connected to her alma mater, serving on SUNY Poly’s Alumni Association Advisory Committee, where she helps strengthen connections between alumni and the university while supporting opportunities for future generations of students.
Furthermore, mentoring the next generation of leaders has also become one of her greatest passions. Whether she’s advising students, participating in national mentorship programs, or speaking to young professionals entering healthcare, her message remains consistent: don’t let others define your limits.
“Everyone can do whatever they want,” she says. “Invest in yourself, invest in leadership, and don’t listen to the people who tell you that you can’t.”
From a small classroom at SUNY Poly to executive leadership at one of Florida’s premier retirement communities, Maliwacki’s journey demonstrates the power of ambition, perseverance, and a commitment to serving others. It is a path that began with a high school elective and continues today through the lives she impacts every day.
