Nationally acclaimed real estate agent was an English graduate student at Waterloo
2002 Arts Alumni Achievement Recipient: Mary Bales
Mary Bales is the fifth recipient of the Faculty of Arts Alumni Achievement Award. The award recognizes Waterloo Arts alumni who have made outstanding contributions to their professional field and/or in community and public service.
Born and raised in Lowell, Indiana, Mary pursued undergraduate studies in science and engineering at Purdue University, and English and technical writing at New Mexico State University (BA 1969). She worked in the research laboratories for Chemagro in Kansas City before moving to Ontario. Mary did graduate studies in English at the University of Waterloo (MA 1972 and MPhil 1973), with emphasis on early Renaissance poetry. She continued her graduate studies at the University of Toronto and the Medieval Institute before commencing a career in real estate in 1974.
Mary enjoys a successful real estate career with Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty, where she focuses on residential sales, new house design, condominium development, and marketing. Her success is recognized annually for being one of the “outstanding agents” nationally, and in some years as being the “top agent” for Coldwell Banker (including the year 2000). She has also received the Coldwell Banker national award for humanitarian service. In addition to this accomplishment, she has managed to provide attentive, personalized service to literally hundreds of individuals and families—many of them UWaterloo employees.
Countless students, faculty, and staff members here at Waterloo, my husband and I among them, have stories of how Mary found the ‘perfect place’ for them to live,
says Barbara Bulman-Fleming, an associate professor in Psychology.
Mary has an impressive record of volunteer activities in the Kitchener-Waterloo community. She has been a committed supporter and volunteer of the local YWCA, serving on its board from 1993 to 2001 and in many other capacities, including chair of the Freedom Fund Campaign, which raised nearly a million dollars for the organization; also as a member of the Executive Committee, chair of the Resource Development Coordinating Committee, and vice-president. She has been a leader in fundraising activities for the United Way, chairing their “Leadership Giving” Committee, and its Endowment Fund Committee, as well as serving on its board of directors. She was also a member of the Board of Directors of Grand River Hospital (1998 - 2001), where she chaired the Governance and Strategic Planning Committee. Recently, Mary spearheaded the creation of the Heartwood Place Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to providing “safe, affordable, and adequate housing” in downtown Kitchener.
Mary’s UWaterloo involvement has been extensive. In the early ’90s, she was a member of the National Alumni Council and chaired its Program Committee. She also served as a member of the Board of Governors for two terms, 1994 - 1997 and 1997 - 2000. During her time on the board, she served on the Board Executive, Senior Officers’ Evaluation and Compensation Committee, and Building and Properties Committee. She also served on the 1999 Presidential Nominating Committee and on one of the working groups of the Commission on Institutional Planning. Currently, she is the chair of the Arts Committee for the Waterloo Fifth Decade campaign. Mary has been a solid financial supporter of the Faculty of Arts since 1984. She has also committed to a generous gift for Waterloo Arts in her estate plans.
A century home, extensive gardens, two Afghan hounds, and two “street” cats keep Mary sane and sensible, and good friends and church activities fill the remaining spots on her weekly calendar.