Mary grew up in the southeast Iowa river town of Keokuk and earned her bachelor's degree at the University of Iowa, launching a career in human services in the public and private sectors, stepping out to raise two sons through the 1990s. She's been with the Tallgrass Prairie Center at UNI for two decades as grants and programming coordinator. Beyond the TPC, Mary is an active grandmother to two toddlers, a hospice volunteer, bird watcher, avid reader, Hawkeye football fan, and biking, boating, and tennis partner to husband Jeff. No matter how busy though, Mary always makes time to walk her collie/pointer mix Rico around the neighborhood.