Author Archive: Mary Wallace, PhD
Mary Wallace, PhD, is a devout Catholic wife of 20 years, mother of 4 daughters, and college administrator for 19 years. Mary obtained her doctorate in Human Resource Education and Workforce Development, and has a particular research interest in faith and work issues. Her dissertation contains research insight from women working in the public sector who bring their faith to work, and using it to inform their leadership. It is through this research that Mary was able to start the blog, The Working Catholic Mom (www.theworkingcatholicmom.com).
Mary is also the co-host of a Catholic radio show: Faith and Good Counsel, on Baton Rouge Catholic Community Radio. The radio show is focused on women living full lives of faith.
As a college administrator for over 19 years, Mary has worked with a wide range of young adults. Spending the first 14 years in the college housing industry, she has a knowledge and experience of working with complex environment, large staffs, and multi-million dollar budgets. Using this knowledge, she has led numerous staffs through strategic planning processes, performance management, training and development, and developing human capital. Her current role focuses on student leadership development, service/volunteerism, and general involvement on a college campus. Mary approaches her leadership with faith as a foundation, though her employment has been mainly with public institutions of higher education.
In 2002, Mary became the main wage earner in her family, when her husband, Steven, became disabled as a result of a traumatic brain injury after a ruptured colon left him sceptic and in the hospital for an entire summer, followed by a year of neuro-rehabilitation. The Wallace’s focused on their faith, and discerned each step of a new journey, full of Christian suffering and joy. During this time, Mary was thankful for her education, and God-given skills and talents to work, and to earn an income to support her family. This is also a time Mary learned to bring her faith to work, in a way that integrated her faith and leadership approach.
Mary’s work brings her great joy, but the greatest joy she has is through her faith and her family. She is a devoted wife, and mother of 4 daughters. It is this role that Mary feels her best leadership shines. She spends lots of time in service with her church, and volunteering for different youth events with her children. Mary is an avid reader and writer, and focuses her reading attention on women’s interest in the Catholic Church, with particular interest in Blessed John Paul II writings and philosophies about women. Mary also enjoys dancing with her girls in her living room (when no one is looking), and cooking simple satisfying meals for the entire family and all of their friends.
Mary is available to speak to your group. Check out ICL's speaker pages for her topics and to book Mary.
Taking a Vacation WITHOUT Taking a Vacation from the Faith
There are times in my past when a vacation would apply to all areas of my life: leave from work, leave from routine, leave from Sunday Mass. Growing in my faith has taught me a vacation is the perfect opportunity to slow down and keep God at the center of my heart. As a Catholic [...]
The Nest Begins to Empty
As I was addressing my daughter’s high school graduation invitations last night, I began to reminisce about the journey my daughter has taken in life. I find it difficult to put into words how proud I am of her: knowing her struggles, knowing her convictions, knowing her faith, knowing her success despite it all. My [...]
Joyful at Work
How often do we do something beautiful for God at work? I mean, not the ordinary things we do at work, but the times when we think of God, and move forward with joy, and intentionally do our work with the idea that our work is something beautiful for God. Consider the plethora of opportunities [...]
Run and Tell That – All Part of the New Evangelization
One of the things I like most in the Bible is that there are so many Mary’s, and it seems as if Christ was close to them all. It makes me wonder about my grandmother, Edna Mary. Was she close to Him as well? I mean, was her heart connected to His Sacred Heart? She [...]
I loved him before I knew him
“We have WHITE SMOKE!” I screamed as I was in my office at work, with several students around the work-table crunching numbers from the student government election. My heart was pounding and my mind was going in a million different directions. I knew we had about an hour or so before we would see the [...]
The Everyday Example of Mary – Especially for Women Who Work
As women who work, we reflect on our leadership in the workforce. In the work world, we are taught that the leadership equation includes winning, managing, competition, with “me” at the center of it all: my next promotion; my next acquisition; my next big step. For women striving to do God’s Holy Will, the work [...]
“Do Whatever He Tells You”
In full disclosure, I am not a Marian scholar. I am not fully versed in all of the Church doctrine about Mary, and how that applies to me as a lay person in the Church. I am approaching this topic and series as a faithful daughter who wants to grow in wisdom and understanding. My [...]
Prayers…On the GEAUX!
As we say in South Louisiana… this is Lagniappe, y’all… MERRY CHRISTMAS! MAY I SUGGEST: KEEP JOURNEYING WITH THE WISE MEN! Christmas always brings about reflection, and as a working Catholic mom, reflection about the year always brings about interesting insight. This year, I am choosing to focus my reflection on prayer…Wait…wait…don’t leave the post [...]
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