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Mary  Bennett - Southern Utah University. Cedar City, UT, US

Mary Bennett

Director of the Micheal O. Leavitt Center for Politics and Public Service | Southern Utah University

Cedar City, UT, UNITED STATES

Specializing in U.S. campaigns and elections, government relations, and public policy and advocacy

Biography

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.

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Industry Expertise (4)

Education/Learning

Government Relations

Political Organization

Public Policy

Areas of Expertise (18)

Utah Political Candidates

Utah Legislative Body

Political Communication

Congressional Campaigns

Regulatory Policy for Financial Industries

Lobbying

Strategic Planning

Government Relations

Legislative and Regulatory Policy

Outreach Education

Public Affairs

Political Education Programs

Legislation for Financial Industries

Auditing Public Companies

Securities and Exchange Commission

Utah Politics

Political Associations

Women in Public Service

Education (1)

Pennsylvania State University: B.A., Political Science

Accomplishments (3)

President

Red Ridge Consulting, LLC

Industry Expert

BlackLine Advisory Group

Director of Government and Industry Relations

Electronic Transactions Association, Washington, DC

Affiliations (4)

  • AAUW
  • Friends of SUMA
  • Kayenta Arts Foundation
  • Windhorse Relations

Media Appearances (5)

Daylight Saving Time is one of the top constituent complaints, but the Utah State Legislature won’t hear a bill

Fox 13  online

2019-03-08

Southern Utah University's Leavitt Center for Politics and Policy recently hosted a "pizza and politics" debate on it. Students were evenly split on whether to keep or dump Daylight Saving Time.

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Mitt Romney visits with Southern Utah University Students

Good4Utah  tv

2018-02-22

Southern Utah University students had a visit from Mitt Romney Thursday who stopped by to speak to students and gather signatures.

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SUU names new director of Leavitt Center for Politics

Deseret News  online

2017-08-22

Southern Utah University has named Mary Weaver Bennett as the new director of the Michael O. Leavitt Center for Politics and Public Service. Bennett brings 25 years of professional experience in Washington, D.C, to the position.

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Southern Utah University's Leavitt Center announces new director

St. George News  online

2017-07-26

Southern Utah University has announced Mary Weaver Bennett as the new director of the Michael O. Leavitt Center for Politics and Public Service. Bennett brings 25 years of professional experience in Washington D.C to this position.

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A Battered Acquiring Industry Seeks New Political Survival Strategies

Digital Transactions  online

2012-04-20

“Our era of self-regulation of pricing has ended,” Mary Weaver Bennett, director of government and industry relations for the Electronic Transactions Association, said Thursday at the merchant-acquiring trade group’s annual conference in Las Vegas. “Government scrutiny will increase.”

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