Mary Ann McCauley, ABC
Mary Ann McCauley, ABC, president and principal of Catalyst Communications, Inc. provides strategic communication counsel to financial services, telecommunications, electronics, health care, legal, manufacturing, nonprofit, residential and commercial real estate firms. Her experience involves working closely with senior management to develop and implement strategic corporate communication plans. She is a frequent guest lecturer for international, regional and local professional associations and universities.
Mary Ann founded Catalyst Communications in 1987 as McCauley & Associates. Mary Ann has been a communication manager for United Technologies Communications Company, Centerre Bancorporation, The American Nurses Association and Hallmark Cards. She began her consulting career as a vice president with Brum and Anderson Public Relations, Minneapolis. Prior to her corporate and consulting work, Mary Ann was a journalist for an Iowa daily newspaper and owned and operated a community newspaper in Southeastern Kansas.
Mary Ann is among about 6 percent of the communication professionals worldwide who are accredited by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). She holds a bachelor of journalism degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. She was the 2000 recipient of the IABC Chairman’s Award, an award presented at the discretion of the IABC chairperson to a volunteer for outstanding contributions to the association and profession.
Active in IABC, Mary Ann has served in several roles, including as the 2003-2005 chair of the IABC Accreditation Council. She chaired the 2000 IABC Gold Quill Awards program and the 2001 IABC Silent Auction. She has served twice on the international board of directors and is a former district director. She is a past director on the IABC Pacific Plains Regional Board of Directors.
In addition to her professional activities with IABC, Mary Ann has been an active contributor to the communities, in which she has lived and worked. She is a volunteer consultant with MAP (Minnesota Assistance Project). She served as president of the board of directors of the Glacier Lakes Chapter of the Audi Car Club of North America.
She chaired The Cricket Theatre board, a Minneapolis-based professional contemporary theater, during its final struggle for financial stability and worked closely with a team of board members and staff to close the 26-year-old with a minimum of stress. She is past chair of the Opportunity Partners board and the Minnesota Literacy Council board. Mary Ann also has served on the fund raising committees of The Children’s Theatre, the Minnesota Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America, Children’s Home Society of Minnesota’s Annual Polo Classic and Boys & Girls Club of Minneapolis.
