Mary Falcon, a publishing industry veteran, came to Safer Society Press as the free-lance copy and acquisitions editor two months before hurricane Irene slammed Vermont. The infamous storm drove the agency from the comfortable confines of the Briggs Carriage House to temporary headquarters at The Granary on Union Street.
Rough waters seemed to be the norm for the next several years, with slowly dwindling book sales and shrinking annual revenue. In a few years, it was evident that the agency needed an injection of new thinking from leadership; Mary was hired as the new executive director in December 2014.
In addition to her experience in publishing, Mary also brought a willingness to try new things, taking advantage of Safer Society’s nimbleness to navigate from one idea to another until things began to click. Thus the New Circle Mentoring Program and the Continuing Education Center have sprouted from these strewn seeds. The successes of these new endeavors have had a significant positive impact on the sales of Safer Society books, a rising tide lifting all boats.
Along the way, Mary moved the agency from The Granary to our current headquarters on Park Street. This more elegant and spacious location is necessary because Safer Society has grown from just three employees at its lowest point to the seven employees we now have.
Glad to have you at the helm, Mary.