Mary Steyer

Mary leads the team that tells Candid’s story. Based in New York, she oversees Candid’s external communications, working in tandem with teams including Design & Marketing, Networks Marketing & Operations, and Planning. Mary and the Communications team convey Candid’s messaging, tone, and overall public story via traditional media, social media, event presence, thought leadership, influencer and sector relationships, content creation, and other communications vehicles.

Mary comes to Candid with more than 15 years of experience in mission-focused, goal-oriented, and data-driven communications and marketing. Throughout her career, Mary has blended social sector service with for-profit work, resulting in a varied and rich skill set. She started in public relations in 2002 at nonprofit organizations focused on Parkinson’s disease advocacy in Washington, D.C., and New York; worked as an executive at an agency for bilingual professionals in Tokyo from 2007 to 2008; and formulated strategy and content development at a boutique marketing agency in New York from 2010 to 2012. Threading these experiences together, Mary served first as a director and then senior director of communications from 2012 to 2020 at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in New York. During this time, she grew and led the organization’s internal and external communications functions, including brand and identity, digital marketing, advertising, public relations, and media. Her experience included crisis communications, project management for Stonewall Forever (the Stonewall National Monument digital experience), rebranding, and website redesign.

Mary holds a B.S. in public relations and French from Syracuse University.