Maria brings more than 25 years of expe­ri­ence as a writer, edi­tor and pub­lic rela­tions pro­fes­sional to Comma. Her career began dur­ing her senior year at Montclair State University, work­ing as a staff writer in the college’s Office of Public Information. Since then, she has worked for numer­ous cor­po­ra­tions and non­profit orga­ni­za­tions, includ­ing BB&T; Burroughs Wellcome Fund; ElectriCities; First Citizens Bank; International Society of Automation; Local Government Federal Credit Union; MarketPlace-​​Solutions; Methodist Home for Children; North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources; North Carolina Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education Center; North Carolina State University; PrintElect; Rick Rountree Communications; Triangle United Way; United Methodist Foundation; UNC Health Care; and Weichert Realtors. In addi­tion, her writ­ing has been pub­lished in Carolina Parent, St. Louis Business Journal, St. Louis Parent, Today’s Triangle Woman, Triangle Business Journal, and the alumni mag­a­zines for Meredith College and UNC’s Kenan-​​Flagler Business School. Maria vol­un­teers her ser­vices on a pro bono basis to the National Scoliosis Foundation and Great Schools in Wake. She is also a co-​​founder of BiggerPicture4Wake.