Mary’s favorite word is risk. She’s an out-of-the-box thinker, willing to take creative risks, and understands that failure IS an option, “You don’t learn unless you fail and then you just get better.” 

Mary is the owner and chief storyteller of Whisker Media, a boutique strategic communications agency where she focuses on marketing and public relations for pet related businesses and animal welfare nonprofits. While the majority of her clients sell products for furry or feathered creatures, she has also worked with non-pet groups like the University of Minnesota, the Minnesota Vikings, the Muscular Dystrophy Association and many more. 

Before her time in animal PR, Mary worked in government communications where she led the public relations efforts for the City of Brooklyn Park and the Brooklyn Park Police and Fire Departments in Minnesota. 

Prior to that, she was a former award-winning television journalist who worked as a reporter and anchor in Las Vegas, Atlanta and Minneapolis. During her time in television, she also appeared on CNN, NBC News and Fox News.

The underlying mission of all her work is to change society’s views of cats. A portion of the proceeds of her company goes directly to cat rescuers. She is also not a fan of the crazy cat lady image, which is not only discriminatory to cats, but to women and those with mental health issues. 

Why Addwomxn? “I would like to be part of a group of supportive women who have similar goals and dreams. We need each other. If you ask the most successful people how they got to where they are, they will tell you no one succeeds alone,” says Mary.  

Still a journalist, Mary writes regularly for the major pet magazines and recently won the 2021 Kari Winters Rescue and Rehabilitation Writing Award from the Cat Writers Association. 

Mary received her BA in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Minnesota. She also received her BA in Music Performance and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.