An Iowa native, Mary founded Avant Studios, a highly-respected talent
and modeling agency based in Des Moines, over ten years ago. Her two daughters
were modeling internationally, and she was often called by other parents
with questions about modeling. Since that time, Avant Studios has become
an internationally-acclaimed training center for hundreds each year, with
over 500 active clients, in both talent and modeling. Actors she has discovered
include Joel West from Calvin Klein ads, Elijah Wood of Flipper
and The Good Son, and Ric Coy of Cheers, Married with
Children and Santa Barbara.