Mary Ellen Beatty

Director of Operations

Mary Ellen Beatty is the Director of Operations of Speech First. She is a strategic communicator with more than a decade of experience in executive non-profit management and issue advocacy. She is no stranger to free speech and free press issues. She got her start at Marquette University where she majored in journalism and helped to launch a student-run newspaper. That experience reinforced her belief that college students need more of a voice and stake in their own education. In her previous role, she served as chief of staff at the Franklin Center, a public interest journalism organization. Additionally, she has directed content strategy for various pro-freedom organizations in Washington, DC.