- Mary is a career journalist, working as both a writer and editor at many print and online publications.
- Mary is a regular contributor to several Hearst Media publications, writing about communication, marketing, small business, and lifestyle topics. She has also written for Crain's Chicago Business, Woman's Day, and Verywell Health.
- Mary may prefer nonfiction writing, but she weaves some important elements of creative writing into her work — namely the storytelling ideals of relatability, description, and cadence.
Experience
Mary's career path followed a trajectory similar to someone her grandfather instantly likened her to: Lois Lane. She began her career as a reporter at a weekly newspaper, then moved to a large, suburban daily newspaper and then became an editor on the night news desk of one of the largest metropolitan newspapers in the country (though not The Daily Planet). As newspapers and magazines grappled with historic challenges posed by the emergence of the internet, Mary decided to parlay her journalism and media relations skills to small businesses. While writing was the common thread in these efforts, she also burnished her digital communication skill set, focusing on website and blog content while integrating the guiding principles of search engine optimization. Once newspapers recalibrated and other online publications like those at Static Media emerged, Mary refocused her energies on nonfiction articles. She continues to write about communication, marketing, small business issues, lifestyle, and health for myriad print and online publications. She is thrilled to be a contributor to Glam, just as Lois Lane surely would be.
Education
Mary holds a bachelor's degree in mass communication with an emphasis in journalism from Illinois State University. Mary also holds a master's degree in journalism from Northern Illinois University. She is a member of Kappa Tau Alpha, an academic honor society for journalists.
