Echoing Hills is happy to welcome Mary Ann Anderson, our new Director of Finance.
Mary Ann brings a wealth of knowledge to her new role, carrying a Bachelors of Arts with a major in accounting, a Master’s degree, and as a Licensed CPA in the state of Ohio. She has many years of experience in finance, but this is her first involvement with nonprofits and the IIDD field. When asked what her new role will entail, Mary Ann joked, “accumulating all the knowledge John [Swanson] has been able to over the last 34 years.”

Mary Ann shared she was drawn to Echoing Hills due to, “connection and community.” She heard Cordell Brown speak at her church when she was young and remembers performing service projects at Echoing Hills for 4H growing up. Her mother also worked in the kitchen in residential living and Mary Ann recalls, “she loved working here.”

Growing up on a farm four miles from Echoing Hills, Mary Ann later moved in life for work to St. Charles, Missouri and then San Francisco, California, where she spent the last 15 years. Little did she know that this new opportunity in California would also lead to meeting her husband, Harry.
Mary Ann shared the plan was always to return to Ohio to be closer to family. She had purchased her grandfather’s house prior to moving to California, and hired contractors in 2019 to complete renovations, returning home earlier this year. She and Harry spend as much time as they can with her family, including great grandnephews and nieces – 12 in all with eight belonging to one family and one more on the way!

When not working, Mary Ann enjoys reading, still belonging to a church book club in California. They meet via Zoom and take turns picking books to read. She shares this is good in that it “allows you to read things you may not have picked yourself.” Mary Ann also enjoys art quilting and traveling. She recalls a trip to Kathmandu in Nepal and a three-month trip she took to the Philippines with her church, working in the business office of the seminary. Mary Ann has also traveled to South Korea, China, Germany, and Sweden for work.

We are glad for the connections that led Mary Ann to Echoing Hills and look forward to all that she will bring to our community!