Q & A With Mary

How Have Other Women Played A Role In Your Professional Success? I've had wonderful women mentors who cared about me as a person and helped me with their advice. My first true mentor pretty much saved my life. She didn't know it at the time, and I was able to reconnect with her a few years ago and thank her. She had no idea. Natalie Berg, former President of City College and Chair of the SF Democratic Party, provided me with advice and career opportunities in politics in SF. Caryl Ito, a former Airport Commissioner and founder of PAAWBAC and the Commission on the Status of Women is the great connector and introduced me to many leaders in SF and always watched my back.

What Is Something You Would Tell Anyone Who Is Starting Off In Their Career? 

If you are able to, try to vertically integrate some of the different facets of your life. It's a more seamless way of living and a more efficient way to get things done. It frees up time to allow for better work/life balance.

Why Is It Important For You To Give Back?

It is better to give than receive and pay it forward. We should all strive to make the world a better place, even if it's just a little bit.

About Mary

Mary Jung is a seasoned political strategist and community advocate with a five-decade career dedicated to advancing workers' rights, social justice, and public safety. As the Executive Director of the San Francisco Association of Realtors Foundation, she oversees The Welcome Home Project, a program she co-founded a decade ago to support the formerly unhoused in their transition to stable housing. Through this initiative, over 15,000 individuals have received essential home goods—bedding, cookware, and small appliances—offering dignity and stability as they rebuild their lives.

Mary began her political career 50 years ago, organizing women office workers in a movement that laid the groundwork for labor protections, pay equity, and workplace rights for millions. This fight for justice was immortalized in the documentary 9to5: The Story of a Movement—the very movement that inspired Dolly Parton’s anthem 9 to 5. More than just a hit song, it was the soundtrack to a revolution led by women demanding fair pay, advancement opportunities, and an end to workplace harassment.

In 2021-22, Mary played a pivotal role in leading the successful recall of the San Francisco District Attorney amid rising crime rates and widespread public concern, particularly about attacks on Asian elders. The campaign’s success was seen as a turning point for San Francisco, reinforcing the power of civic engagement in shaping public policy and community safety.

Beyond her advocacy work, Mary has been a dedicated civic leader, serving on the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee for 20 years, including four as Chair. She has also served on San Francisco’s Civil Service Commission, the Arts Commission, and the Commission on the Status of Women. She currently serves on the Board of the Edwin M. Lee Democratic Club, continuing her commitment to community engagement and progressive policy.

With a lifelong dedication to advocacy, public service, and grassroots organizing, Mary continues to drive meaningful change, ensuring that both policy and action work in service of the people.