Mary-Kate holds two PDC certificates and an Advanced Permaculture Teacher Training certificate. In addition to her position as the Executive Director Savanna Institute, she serves as the Outreach Coordinator for Center for Sustainable Community, apprentice to Midwest Permaculture, and volunteer for a Community Supported Agriculture site.

She obtained her passion for sustainability from her background in permaculture and community service. After using most of her time in community service with homeless shelters and outreaches to the hungry growing up, she spent two years at a global missions school, with the realization that there had to be a sustainable way to feed the world .

In her introduction course to permaculture, she found that missionaries were able to farm land that locals in several nations had not been able to in decades from poor soil conditions. This lit a passion in her to aid in finding solutions and alternatives that have the possibility for global impact.