Mary O’Connell

Mary O’Connell is an award-winning communications professional and consultant, serving principally nonprofit and foundation clients. From 1996—2008, she directed communications for the Chicago-based Joyce Foundation, overseeing its publications, website, media relations and public positioning as a policy-oriented Midwest foundation. Prior to that, she was the editor in charge of covering health care reform at American Medical News and served as editor of the monthly The Neighborhood Works, published by the nonprofit Center for Neighborhood Technology. She has also edited books for Northwestern University Press and the University of Chicago Press.

Mary has won several journalism and communications awards, including the Wilmer Shields Rich Award from the Council on Foundations and the Peter A. Lisagor Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Her publications include Communityworks: Everything Changed, School Reform Chicago Style, The Gift of Hospitality: Opening the Doors of Community Life to People with Disabilities and Welfare to Work: What Have We Learned?

A native of Chicago, Ms. O’Connell graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a degree in history and holds a masters in political science from the University of Pennsylvania. She serves on the boards of the Center for Neighborhood Technology and Neighborhood Services.