Meet Mary Wells
Mary Wells is an experienced community leader, dedicating herself to improving the lives of Beverly Hills children and families. She is a proven public servant, longtime education champion and fervent advocate for her community. Currently, Wells is running for Beverly Hills City Council in March 2024. She was elected to the Beverly Hills Unified School District Governing Board in November 2020 and is the immediate Past President (2021-22).
Mary is a highly effective Board Member who has affected strategic change over the past three years. She was instrumental in saving taxpayers tens of millions of dollars by revamping the district’s troubled and controversial Construction Bond Program during her first term on the Governing Board of the Beverly Hills Unified School District. She led the Board’s effort to require a Request for Proposal (RFP) to ensure accountability and transparency in the Construction Bond Program, while hiring a new executive leadership team to ensure the projects will be completed on time and within budget.
During her tenure with the Beverly Hills Unified School District Governing Board, Wells also focused on addressing declining enrollment through issuing grandparent permits and offering accelerated universal Transitional Kindergarten (TK); expanding mental health and wellness programs for students and parents; improving the security and safety of our schools by restructuring the security program; improving school facilities maintenance and operations; and ensuring a safe and secure return to school after the pandemic.
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JPA Negotiating Team
Wells also serves as Liaison for the City of Beverly Hills Recreation and Parks Commission, Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) negotiations, Next Beverly Hills Committee, and previously to the Health and Safety Commission. She is a member of the BHUSD Finance, Audit, and Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committees. Wells represented the Board during BHEA MOU negotiations. She also was appointed to the Los Angeles County School Trustees Association (LACSTA) Executive Board.
She is or recently has been involved with many respected local organizations including the Beverly Hills Rotary Club, Team Beverly Hills, Just In Case Beverly Hills, Visionary Women, WIZO, and the Beverly Hills Fire Department CERT Program.
Wells earned a B.S. in Business Administration with a specialization in Finance and Accounting from the University of Southern California, and a Masters’ Certificate in Governance from the California School Boards Association. She brings a wealth of business experience having previously worked in brand management and account management at the Walt Disney Company, and construction management at Beezley Management.
Mary Wells lives with her husband John Hanover with whom she shares three children, Jacob, Sydney and Cassidy.
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Community Engagement
