Prior to becoming a consultant, Mari most recently served as Vice President – Enterprise Business Planning, Program Management, Change Management, & Continuous Improvement for CPS Energy, one of the nation’s largest municipal energy providers (more than 1.2 million electric and natural gas customers).  She previously held roles at CPS Energy in benchmarking, supply chain, human resources, public affairs, brand management, communications, information technology, and substation construction. 

Mari also spent five years with Black & Veatch in organizational transformation and change management, as well as in smart meter deployments across the nation.  Mari’s deep expertise in utility strategic planning, strategy execution, integrated business planning, benchmarking, and performance measurement provides co-ops with the insights and tools they need to assess the evolving operating environment, develop compelling strategic plans, execute successfully, and track their performance.  Mari earned her B.A. in Computer Science & Applications Systems, an M.B.A. with a concentration in Finance, and a Ph.D. in Leadership.  Mari is also a Certified Change Practitioner.

She is co-founder of iEmpower.org, a member-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that inspires women to be empowered and engaged, and to foster a sense of community.