ABOUT MARY ANN THOMPSON, ACC etermination. Endurance. Empathy. The ability to work within and to lead a team. Those qualities have enabled Mary Ann Thompson to survive divorce and single parenthood; to juggle the demands of family, college and career, rising from entry-level factory worker to staff engineer during her 24 years with IBM; to survive multiple battles with breast cancer; and to complete two 26.2-mile marathons - so far. "I had enjoyed working as a hairdresser for several years when my marriage ended in divorce and I became a single parent," says Mary Ann. "Soon after that, I lost my mother to cancer. It was time for me to shift places and move on to a new life. "It was my good fortune to be hired at IBM in Endicott, N.Y. This was an entirely different environment, and a whole new world of science and technology opened up before me." Working at night and studying during the day, Mary Ann balanced single parenthood with part-time college to earn a degree in electronics. She was promoted to engineer and led many project teams, co-developed training seminars and workshops, and gave numerous presentations. She co-founded IBM's Technology Camp for Women, which encourages young women to pursue careers in math and science, and served as a professional role model to students through the IBM E-Mentoring program. Mary Ann retired from IBM as a staff engineer in July 2002. Mary Ann is a co-founder and two-time chair of the "Celebrating Women in Business" conference, held in New York's Southern Tier.  The conference was one of the premier professional development and networking events in the region and was sponsored by the Small Business Development Center at Binghamton University, State University of New York, and drew hundreds of professional women and business owners each year. Mary Ann has been certified by the International Coaching Federation  as an Associate Certified Coach.   She is a graduate of the Graduate School of Coaching at Coachville.com and a founding member of the International Association of Coaches.   "I love the spirit and synergy of teamwork," says Mary Ann, "and am truly interested in and enjoy being with people. Entering the coaching profession was a natural career transition for me. "From my personal experiences, I bring to coaching a capacity to emphathize. From my professional experience, I bring my communication, organization and problem-solving skills." Mary Ann Thompson lives in Endicott, N.Y. with Alan, her husband of more than 20 years.  CONTACT US