About Us
Mary Brougher, Board Director
A Life of Purpose
As a board member for Bender Leadership Academy, Mary has lent her expertise in operations management, strategic planning and program development to the organization. As a founding team member of the original volunteer program, she has been instrumental in early curriculum development.
Mary is the EVP of operations for Bender Consulting Services, Inc., overseeing Bender’s four product areas; talent programs, consulting, training and software solutions. Mary joined the Bender family of companies in 1994 and has held search consultant and VP of recruitment positions, prior to assuming her current role. Earlier in her career, she provided relational database consulting services, business consulting services, and has implemented technology systems and strategies.
Mary’s transition from the large-scale corporate environment to working supporting a small-business operation was precipitated by an interest in carving out a career in which she had the ability to impact the professional success of others in a direct way. As a founding leader of Bender Consulting Services, May has been instrumental in applying project, data, and operations management principles to the organization, as well as shaping the social mission of the organization.
As a woman living with a mental health disability, Mary has a personal stake in taking action to identify solutions to the employment barriers for people with disabilities. She has taken on mentorship roles for many young professionals with disabilities and supported key initiatives to increase disability employment awareness in the public and private sectors. Mary is the past-chair of the Pennsylvania Rehabilitation Council, focused on informing and advising the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Legislature, and the Governor on the diverse issues affecting employment of people with disabilities. Additionally, she has participated in disability employment programming with the U.S. State Department on trips to Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, and Panama.
A disability leader in her own right, Mary’s experience has included serving as the project director of the Collaborative on Accessible Workplace Technologies, a Department of Labor initiative focused on developing and communicating effective practices for employing people with disabilities, as well as creating accessible workplace technology policies and practices. In addition, she has been instrumental in building Bender’s HighTest digital accessibility business and iDisability, a fully accessible and responsive eLearning product.
Mary is also a member of the Disability:IN Disability Equality Index (DEI) Advisory Committee. The DEI is a forward-thinking tool that allows companies to assess their disability diversity inclusion and engagement practices. This approach has been heralded as an opportunity for businesses to become known as best in class for disability employment.
Career Highlights
Professional
- 2018 – Founding Board Member for Bender Leadership Academy
- 2018 – Representative for State Department information sharing program to Japan on disability employment best practices
- 2018 – Representative for State Department information sharing program to Kazakhstan on disability employment best practices
- 2017 – Representative for State Department information sharing program to South Korea on disability employment best practices
- 2017 – Representative for State Department information sharing program to Indonesia on disability employment best practices
- 2016 – Representative for State Department information sharing program to South Korea on disability employment best practices
- 2016 – Representative for State Department information sharing program to Panama on disability employment best practices
- 1995 – Founding member of the leadership team for Bender Consulting Services, Inc.
- 1994 – Joined Bender and Associates International, positions held include search consultant and VP of Recruitment
- 1991 – Joined Highmark, Inc.
- 1989 – Joined Ensys
- 1987 – Joined MKI, Inc.
Education
- Awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Economics from the University of Pittsburgh
Affiliations
Mary provides guidance and expertise in the areas of disability employment and inclusion for a variety of organizations that service the disability community.
Those affiliations include:
- Mentor, Text Disability:IN NextGen Leadership Program
- Council Member, PA Rehabilitation Council
- Member, Disability Equality Index Advisory Board, Disability:IN & AAPD
- Board Member, Bender Leadership Academy