Marisa Daley and The MIL Corporation Honored with AFP Maryland Corporate Partnership Award

 

Award honors extraordinary, multi-generational philanthropy supporting education, healthcare, and community growth in Maryland.

The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Maryland Chapter has announced The MIL Corporation (MIL) as the recipient of its 2025 Corporate Partnership Award, recognizing the company’s outstanding leadership and commitment to advancing philanthropy across the state. The honor was presented at the National Philanthropy Day celebration on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore.

MIL was nominated by St. Mary’s Ryken High School and MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital, in recognition of MIL’s decades-long impact in education, healthcare, and community development throughout Southern Maryland.

The story of MIL is one of generational philanthropy and leadership, carried forward by Marisa Long Daley ’92, President of MIL, whose service on the St. Mary’s Ryken Board of Directors and Advancement Committee continues her family’s extraordinary legacy of support. Her father, Maurice “Butch” Long ’66, first established the family’s enduring connection to the school as an honor student, athlete, and St. Mary’s Ryken’s first lay board chair. Today, Marisa ensures that her family’s vision for philanthropy continues to evolve to meet the needs of today’s students and community.

Since 1989, MIL, the Long family, and the Maurice I. Long Jr. Family Foundation has contributed nearly $3 million to scholarships, facilities, technology, mentorship, and capital projects at St. Mary’s Ryken. Their most recent $625,000 pledge to STEM education demonstrates a forward-looking approach that balances immediate student impact with long-term sustainability. In 2021, the dedication of the MIL Family STEM Innovation Wing marked a milestone moment for the school, creating technology-rich, collaborative learning spaces that now serve as the hub for innovation in aerospace engineering and computer science.

“Through their generosity, leadership, and compassion, The MIL Corporation and the Long family have built a legacy of service that continues to uplift our entire region,” said Dr. Rick Wood, President of St. Mary’s Ryken. “Their impact is visible in every student who dreams bigger, every patient who receives better care, and every family whose future is brighter because of their commitment.”

MIL’s commitment to healthcare has been equally transformative. Through a long-standing partnership with MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital, the company has provided more than $70,000 to enhance patient care, upgrade operating rooms and emergency facilities, and support hospice programs that provide compassionate end-of-life care for local families. These investments have strengthened the hospital’s ability to serve the region and improve the experience of patients and associates alike.

“The MIL Corporation and the Long family have shown what it means to invest in the health of a community,” said Mimi Novello, M.D., president of MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital and senior vice president of MedStar Health. “Their commitment to advancing healthcare and education in Southern Maryland reflects a shared belief that strong communities grow from compassion, collaboration, and service to others.”

Beyond its philanthropic investments, MIL has cultivated a corporate culture grounded in service through its MIL Cares initiative. The program supports military families, health and wellness programs, Special Olympics, Leadership Southern Maryland, and the Alzheimer’s Association — organizations that reflect the company’s belief that corporate success must always be paired with corporate responsibility. Marisa also serves as Executive Leadership Chair for the 2025 Alzheimer’s Association Ride to End ALZ in the Nation’s Capital and as a Board Member for the Alzheimer’s Association National Capital Area Chapter, furthering vital research and community outreach.

St. Mary’s Ryken High School and MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital proudly co-nominated The MIL Corporation for the AFP Maryland Corporate Partnership Award, recognizing how the company’s dual impact—advancing opportunities for students while supporting the health and wellness of the community—embodies the very best of Maryland’s philanthropic spirit.

For more information, please contact Betsy Haley at betsy.haley@smrhs.org.