About Mary

About Mary

Mary Tribble has built her career on the power of storytelling to connect people and convey purpose. After graduating from Wake Forest University in 1982, she founded and led a Charlotte-based event marketing firm for 25 years. There, she used large-scale events as a platform to help corporations and nonprofits communicate their mission and values with authenticity and impact. She was honored as BusinessWoman of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, and was inducted into the Event Solutions Hall of Fame.

In 2014, Mary returned to her alma mater to lead the alumni engagement team, shaping experiences that deepened the bond between Wake Forest and its graduates. She also guided the future of the Wake Forest Historical Museum at the university’s original campus, ensuring that the institution’s story remained central to its identity.

A public speaker, writer, and podcaster, Mary has dedicated much of her work to elevating stories that inspire. She earned her Master of Liberal Studies degree in 2019 and published Pious Ambitions: Sally Merriam Wait’s Mission South, 1813–1831 with the University of Tennessee Press. She served on Wake Forest’s Slavery, Race, and Memory Project, co-chaired the Universities Studying Slavery Conference in 2020, and continues to speak on topics of leadership, history, and community.

Mary is also the creator and host of Wake Women, a podcast for, by, and about the women of Wake Forest University. Now transitioning from her university role, she continues to consult with nonprofits and cultural institutions, helping them craft narratives that engage constituents and communicate vision and values. She lives in the historic 1824 Reich House in Old Salem.