Mary Bennett

Mary Weaver Bennett is the director of the Michael O. Leavitt Center for Politics and Public Service at Southern Utah University. She is a specialist in legislative and regulatory policy matters for the financial services industry, specializing in electronic payments, fintech, government relations, advocacy and communications.

Before moving to southern Utah, Bennett was the director of government and industry relations for the Electronic Transactions Association in Washington, DC, where she led federal and state public affairs strategy, lobbying and outreach initiatives. Bennett’s professional experience spans over 25 years in a range of Washington, DC institutions including the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, The Washington Campus and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board under the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

Bennett is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. She most recently served as president of Red Ridge Consulting, LLC, and as an expert advisor for Blackline Advisory Group in Nashville, TN.