First elected to City Council in January 2020, Mary is passionate about fighting poverty, institutional racism, housing rights, and improving the quality of life for all Rochesterians. She seeks to increase civic engagement by increasing transparency of the legislative process and to govern alongside the community.
She has focused on community efforts to halt displacement and create access to quality, affordable housing as a volunteer with City Roots Land Trust and the City-Wide Tenant Union. Mary has also volunteered with Mothers Out Front, a group mobilizing to preserve a livable climate and inspire bold local action to achieve a sustainable future for our children.
Mary has been proud to call Rochester her home since relocating from Pennsylvania in 1999 to study Information Technology at RIT. After graduating, Mary began a career in her field. As she grew in her corporate roles, so did the calling to help people and serve the community. She eventually left her corporate career to start a career in service.
Mary has
spent time working with children in deeply impoverished areas of Guatemala City. She has worked for St. Peter's Soup Kitchen as Assistant Director and the Catholic Family Center (CFC) in several capacities. Mary worked as a Bilingual Reading Interventionist at Henry Hudson School #28 in the Rochester City School District. During her last year there, she was able to work with middle school students using restorative practices to help bridge gaps among cultural groups.
Mary lives in the Beechwood neighborhood with her husband Jesse and their daughters Maya and Wren. Mary has served on the board of the Beechwood Neighborhood Coalition since 2018.