SLLA Board Candidate Mary Farley traveled the world to retire in Seven Lakes. Farley was born in Wiesbaden-Bierstadt, West Germany in 1945. She graduated from the Wiesbaden School of Business in 1962 with a major in retail sales and marketing.
Mary and Jerry Farley, a United States Air Force [USAF] Command Chief Master Sergeant (Retired), have been married for almost fifty years. While in the USAF, they were assigned to numerous bases. Mary supported her husband and family during the moves as an active volunteer. Stationed in Hawaii, she was elected President of the Hickam Air Force Base Hawaii Wives Club for 1988-1990 and was the first recipient of the “Heart of Hickman” volunteer award.
When Jerry Farley retired, Mary revived her career, becoming an independent sales and marketing representative for numerous food companies working with the military commissaries in the Washington, DC area.
In 2005, the Farley's relocated to Seven Lakes. Mary went back to work as an independent Avon Representative and has received the Avon President's Award for four years running. In 2013, she was made a member of Avon’s “Honor Society.” In her free time, she is an active volunteer with the local chapter of the Red Hats and an avid amateur gardener.
Like many who moved to Seven Lakes, she was attracted by the rural setting.
“One of the first things we saw were the horses and all of this," she said during the Wednesday, February 5 Candidates' Night. "It was such a beautiful picture we thought it has got to be a nice place to live.”
Responding to a question about the stables, Farley said: “I think there is a happy medium. I am not in favor of buying additional horses, and I don’t want the horses that we have to go away. I like what the stables offer the children. They enjoy a fabulous program. In the summertime, they can give more lessons to make some money if they need to.”
Mary believes in keeping fit, walks daily, participates in water aerobics, and is also an avid “game room” player; Rumi Kub, Mexican Train, and Canasta are her favorites. If she were elected to the Board, she said serving on the Recreation Committee would be a natural fit.
“It is close to my interest and what I am good at — and I have had experience at it,” she said.
The biggest changes Mary would like to see in the community are to have lines painted down the middle of the street and to add walking paths.
“It can be very dangerous to walk along our streets because of the traffic," she said. "We need a path where people can enjoy walking without the worry of being run over. We maybe could put a path around the stable area. We also need a place for the young people to ride their skateboards. It is not safe on the street.”
Farley said it is important to encourage parental involvement in organized activities for children.
“Children can’t be let lose," she said. "Parental involvement is necessary, whether the kids are going swimming or fishing at the lake. We could start summertime activities that might not be here: baseball, basketball, t-ball, and swimming lessons, if parents and residents are willing volunteers.”
