Born in Ottawa and raised in a military family, Mary was inspired to follow in her father’s footsteps and serve her country. She was among a small cadre of tenacious young women who were part of the eighth class at the Royal Military College of Canada, in Kingston, with female cadets.
Mary graduated from RMC with a bachelor's degree in Business and Commerce and served as an Air Traffic Controller for several years. But it was her passion for community engagement and promoting the mission and values of Canada’s service men and women that prompted Mary to switch to the Public Affairs Branch. This new responsibility took her around the world, including a tour in the Arabian Gulf as part of the US-led coalition force on the war on terrorism.
Mary retired from the Canadian Armed Forces at the rank of major in 2007 and started a communications consulting business. She worked in a variety of industries including aviation, government, health care, and education. Mary went after her dream of earning a master’s degree in Public Relations, graduating in 2019 with the academic achievement award.
Mary was recently the Manager of Communications for Comox Valley Schools. The role that allowed her to promote and celebrate student success and teachers’ accomplishments and highlight many inclusive and innovative programs including mental health and wellness and Indigenous Education.
Mary resides in the Comox Valley, with her husband Gavin, and their daughter, Gillian, and also has a stepdaughter, Kelsey in Alberta.
