The Alumni Committee of the Sedalia School District Foundation has selected Mary McClure as the 2017 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award. Ms. McClure is a 1972 graduate of Smith-Cotton High School where she was a co-editor of the Archives; news editor of the school newspaper; president of the Future Teacher’s Club; a member of the Latin Club, Speech and Debate Team; and Spiz Pep Club. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Home Economics Journalism from the University of Missouri and a MBA from Harvard Business School where she was the vice president of the Women’s Student Association.
For more than 35 years, she has been a leader in the corporate and nonprofit sectors in Kansas City. Her notable record of achievements over a 20-year executive career at Hallmark Cards, combined with her service as a community volunteer, reflect her commitment to excellent managerial leadership, generous service to others, and significant contributions to society.
During her career with Hallmark Cards, she led business units as a vice president and general manager. She frequently initiated cross-divisional projects such as Senior Women Mentoring Group. For over eight years she worked exclusively on Christmas products leading the launch of the Barbie and Star Trek ornaments as well as the creation of Hallmark’s Holiday Barbie doll. Her team developed a line of alternative humor cards which grew to over $50 million in annual sales. She helped establish the company’s entrance into the digital marketplace, leading the early development of the www.hallmark.com business.