Mary is an experienced Creative Director and Manager with a passion for kai sovereignty, humanitarian work and the arts. Born to US-Canadian parents, she moved to Aotearoa at six, later returning to the United States where she completed a BFA at Columbia, Chicago and worked for several years before returning home.
E mihi ana au ki ngā mana whenua. Mary acknowledges that her place in Aotearoa is upheld by her commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and sustained through the friendship of many.
Her work sits at the intersection of strategic thinking and creative execution. She has co-led lean teams delivering initiatives focused on social impact and environmental reform across aerospace, science, academia, and policy. Alongside her professional work, she has supported the development of a trauma treatment centre for children rescued from human trafficking, and contributed to organisations focused on faith, community development, the prevention of genocide and crimes against humanity.
In service of impact, her work with For Purpose helps organisations tell meaningful stories, deepen connection and move people toward action. As Ram Dass wrote, she likes to believe “we are all just walking each other home.”