Mary Donnelly is a dementia consultant and a former caregiver for her mother. A past Board President for MemoryCare, she founded and coordinates the MemoryCaregivers Network, writes and edits a bi-monthly e-newsletter, Caregiver Network News, and is part of the teaching staff for their annual caregiver education series.   She is also on the staff of national dementia expert Teepa Snow, holding multiple roles as Trainer, Consultant, Mentor, and Speaker, and is also a certified Validation Practitioner.   Mary serves on the Steering Committee of Dementia Friendly Western North Carolina, a grassroots organization promoting dementia awareness and education.   She co-facilitates five area support groups, provides family consulting and on-site staff dementia training for long-term care facilities, and is a dynamic speaker on dementia-related issues across the country.

When she’s not working, Mary can often be found on a hiking trail in the Blue Ridge Mountains, or when weather permits, on cross-country skis.  Mary lives in Asheville, North Carolina, with her crooner husband Tom and their celebrity dog Sammy.

To contact Mary about the MemoryCaregivers Network, please email her at network@memorycare.org.