Sylvia Mackey is a true Renaissance woman.  She has worked as a bilingual secretary for the World Bank, a linguist for the Defense Department, a flight attendant, and as one of the top fashion models in the world.

 

She is best known for her tireless work on behalf of former football players suffering from traumatic brain injury.  This is a deeply personal cause for Sylvia, whose husband – John Mackey, perhaps the greatest tight end ever to play in the NFL – passed away in 2011 from Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD).  Sylvia was the driving force behind the 88 Plan, a joint effort of the NFL and the Players Association to assist former players diagnosed with dementia.  She is also a co-founder of the John Mackey Fund, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization that raises funds for research for Frontotemporal Dementias.

 

Sylvia  also serves on the Board of Directors for the Alzheimer’s Association of Baltimore and for the Association for Frontotemporal Degenerations.