Mary Ann was born and raised in suburban Philadelphia. She attended Penn State University. While still a student, she met and married Arne, a Philadelphia stockbroker. They later moved to California for a new adventure and warmer weather. Mary Ann flourished in the field of celebrity journalism as a writer and numerous magazines including People, Star, Redbook, and OK! and as a producer for Entertainment Tonight. Having the itch to live in the Santa Barbara area, Arne and Mary Ann built a house in Summerland and Mary Ann commuted to L.A. for work for over 14 years. When Arne faced life altering kidney failure, they moved back to Los Angeles so Arne could be close to his doctors.
After Arne died in 2010 Mary Ann bought a home in Solvang, an area that she and Arne loved to visit over the years. Mary Ann remained in the entertainment industry, working remotely for several years.Wanting to be more engaged in the Valley community, Mary Ann left her LA job and took a position as Life Style Editor for the Santa Ynez Valley News and concurrently enrolled in Penn State’s pioneering online campus and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science in 2016. She then went on to become the Executive Director of the Solvang Theaterfest. Now retired, Mary Ann is excited to belong to our Rotary club and to get active in community projects.
