Mary Jo has lived in Davis for 47 years and has been involved with Suicide Prevention of Yolo County, Yolo Interfaith Immigration Network, Yolo Community Foundation, Soroptimist International of Davis. She worked for UCD extension organizing public policy conferences on topics like Runaway Youth, Youth Gangs and Drugs, Child Abuse, Drug Babies, AIDS, and Immigration Policy in California. She also worked for Yolo County Supervisor Helen Thomson as an administrative assistant and was a program assistant in the Yolo County Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs where she founded the Sister Friend Program, and served as Executive Director of a Yolo County non-profit.