Mary Harrison is the Executive Director for CSRA Economic Opportunity Authority, Inc. (CSRA EOA, Inc.), a nonprofit community action agency serving the CSRA since 1966 whose mission is to leverage resources, empower people, and advocate to alleviate poverty in the CSRA.  Mary, a native of Toccoa, Georgia, has lived in the CSRA for almost 30 years.  She graduated from Augusta State University with a BA in Sociology (1998), Troy University with a Master of Education (2006), and most recently became a Certified Community Action Professional (CCAP, 2017).  For the past 20 years, Mary has worked for CSRA EOA, Inc.

Mary is a results-oriented professional with a proven history of managing and overseeing successful Community Services programs that provide services for veterans and their families, homeless assistance and prevention, financial literacy, energy assistance, and homeownership planning and education.  Mary takes great pride in providing strategic direction to the agency and working alongside other agency and community leaders to determine service and partnership that is mission consistent and lends to human rights, equal opportunity, and equity.   Mary strives to exemplify leadership characteristics that uphold both the Promise of Community Action (changing people’s lives, embodying the spirit of hope, improving communities, making  America a better place to live, and helping people help themselves and each other), by expanding the positive impact of Community Action work across the CSRA.

In 2019, she received the Earl M. Jones Award from Georgia Community Action Association, in recognition of outstanding leadership.  She also received the Carl D. Perkins Human Service Award from the Southeastern Association of Community Action Agencies, in honor of consistently advocating for and contributing to the growth, development, and survival of Community Action Programs throughout Region IV (southeast).  Mary has served on the United Way 211 Advisory Council, Balance of the State Continuum of Care, Augusta Richmond County Continuum of Care, and Keep Augusta Beautiful Board of Directors.  She serves on the Board of Directors for Georgia Community Action Association and The Center for New Beginnings.