Marlene Ulisky is Manager of Financial Empowerment at NDI and a Subject Matter Expert at the ABLE National Resource Center, where she leads national efforts to connect SSA benefits, ABLE accounts and Veteran’s benefits to financial independence. She is recognized as an expert on the intersection of Social Security disability benefits, Medicaid, Medicare, ABLE accounts, Veteran’s benefits and other public benefits which expand opportunities for individuals with disabilities and their families. At NDI and the ABLE NRC, she contributes to programmatic work on public benefits, policy initiatives, and the development of web-based and external resources that elevate the expertise of NDI staff and partners.

Before joining NDI, Marlene retired from SSA after a 35-year career and later worked with Florida Vocational Rehabilitation to establish the Partnership Plus Program. She was subsequently rehired by SSA to apply her specialized skills in training, mentoring and addressing critical integrity workloads, including Office of Inspector General Investigations.

Marlene holds credentials as a Community Partner Work Incentives Counselor from Virginia Commonwealth University and as a Veteran Work Incentive Practitioner from Cornell University. In 2025, she was honored with the National Association of Benefits and Work Incentives Specialists’ Thomas P. Golden Distinguished Service Award.

A proud Pittsburgh native and graduate of Robert Morris University, Marlene enjoys gourmet cooking, recreating restaurant meals, travel and thrifting for hidden treasures.