Mary

Mary Still will be a strong voice for Columbia’s 25th District and for progressive issues.

Her career in public service has taught her how to fight for progressive change. She served as director of communications for Attorney General Jay Nixon for 10 years and policy adviser for the past three years, and from 2002 to 2004 she served as director of communications for Missouri Governor Bob Holden.

She is a champion of the University of Missouri, where she graduated from the School of Journalism and served as director of the MU News Bureau for eight years, promoting the land-grant mission of teaching, research and service.

She is married to Russell Still, a Columbia attorney and member of the Columbia School Board for nine years. They have two children, Allison and Susannah, who attended public schools in the 25th District - Benton Elementary School and Jefferson Junior High - and graduated from Hickman High School.

Mary credits the outstanding teachers in the Columbia public schools with her children’s success in college and now as they start their own careers and begin graduate school.

Mary has lived in District 25 for 24 years and has been active in school and community activities. She was a Girl Scout leader for 10 years; a Sunday School teacher; is chair of the administrative council of the Missouri United Methodist Church; and is a member of the Blind Boone Foundation, which is working to preserve the home and legacy of African-American Ragtime pioneer and Columbia leader J.W. “Blind” Boone. She is a member of the University of Missouri Jefferson Club and the Friends of the University of Missouri Library.

Mary began her career in journalism where she worked for newspapers in Arkansas, Mississippi and Missouri. When she first moved back to Columbia after school, she began working in state government as the director of communications for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

In her own words ...

I grew up in Fordyce, Ark., where my parents were civic leaders. My father, Frank Wynne, was a district attorney for 24 years, serving eight counties, and my mother was the first woman to serve on the school board. She demonstrated lots of courage and worked hard to successfully integrate the segregated schools in our small south Arkansas town. My parents taught me to respect all people and to value diversity, a lesson that has served me well all my life.

As the editor of my high school newspaper, I caught the journalism “bug” and worked at our local paper, and at a paper in a nearby town, prior to moving to Columbia to attend the world’s first and best school of journalism at the University of Missouri. After graduating from the Journalism School in 1976, I continued reporting and worked at several newspapers including the Delta Democrat-Times, a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper that championed civil rights in Mississippi.

I returned to Missouri to marry Russell Still, who had started a law practice in Columbia, and I began working for the state of Missouri.

My career in public service has taught me how to stand up for progressive change. I have served as director of communications for Attorney General Jay Nixon for 10 years and policy adviser for the past three years, and served as director of communications for Missouri Governor Bob Holden for two years.

Because of my MU roots, I am a strong advocate for the University of Missouri. I served as director of the MU News Bureau for eight years, promoting the land-grant mission of teaching, research and service, and I want to continue advocating for our flagship University in the Capitol and throughout Missouri. Support for the University of Missouri is one of the most important ways we can broaden the economy of our state.

Russ and I have two daughters, Allison and Susannah, who attended public schools in the 25th District - Benton Elementary School and Jefferson Junior High - and graduated from Hickman High School. We credit the outstanding teachers in the Columbia public schools with their success in college and now as they start their own careers and begin graduate school.

We love Columbia and like most families in our community we have put in the sweat equity as citizens and volunteers to help meet the challenges in our schools and neighborhoods.

Russ served on the School Board for nine years and I was Girl Scout leader for almost 10 years and remain active in a variety of Girl Scout activities.

We are members of the Missouri United Methodist Church where I have been a Sunday School teacher, and am currently chairwoman of the administrative council. Our family enjoys all the great opportunities of living in a progressive community like Columbia. Running, biking, tennis and coffee downtown are some of our favorite activities.

I am seeking the office of State Representatives as a means of continuing public service and fighting for the right priorities — education, health care, the economy and the environment.