Mary Ann Bashaw joined First Place in 2018 after working with Denise Resnik as a freelancer on various grants and DRA Collective projects. She has a background in international marketing and journalism, including staff writer for Raising Arizona Kids magazine before she worked as managing editor. She received a Phoenix Press Club Award for her series titled “Finding Purpose in Grief” about families enduring the loss of a child.

Mary Ann met Denise when she was writing a 2013 cover story about SARRC and has been in her orbit ever since. As communication specialist, Mary Ann’s duties includes grants, reports, social media and blogs—and ensuring the accuracy, relevance and timeliness of all internal and external communication.

As an Air Force brat, Mary Ann moved every three years and has lived in France and Germany. She is a language buff fluent in French and proficient in Spanish and German. International marketing positions include consumer division V.P. of the Mexican maquiladora for a wire products manufacturer and marketing coordinator for a Swiss electronics firm. She has a Master of International Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management and a B.A. in French and business minor from Northern Arizona University. Mary Ann and her husband Eric live in Phoenix and have two grown daughters.