Learn About Our Director of Innovation, Mary!

I am a Southern transplant and proud University of Tennessee alumni.  Go Vols!!  After graduation I worked in the telecom industry for a site management firm as companies were building out their networks and deciding where to put their towers.  From there, I worked in the accounting industry on the application side, before taking a wonderful decade-long detour into the nonprofit world while my children were younger.  I’ve been married to my husband for 25 years this past summer.  We have two children, a son who is a junior in college majoring in Elementary Education and a high school senior daughter who is anxiously awaiting college acceptances.  I love watching Tennessee sports of any kind, cheering on my daughter’s softball team, and volunteering at my church..  I also enjoy reading, entertaining, decorating, and trying new experiences.  Christmas is my favorite holiday and I put up at least five trees each year.  

Hands down, my favorite parts of working at Breakwater are the people, both our team and our clients.  The team is so great about collaborating and helping each other out.  And our clients amaze me.  The work our nonprofits are doing is pretty inspiring, while our for profit clients have such great business ideas it is fun to be a small part of their successes.

I think my favorite Breakwater memory was our drive-by Holiday party.  It was our creative way to celebrate the holidays together during the pandemic.  It embodies the Breakwater spirit.  We knew we couldn’t miss our favorite annual holiday party, and where there’s a will, there’s a way! We were determined and found a way to make it happen.  And – we had fun!