Alumni Spotlight: Mary Anne Potts ’00

The Pacific garbage patch, the deforestation of the Amazon, the tuna fishing industry, factory farming – there is plenty to depress and overwhelm us in the typical environmental film. Mary Anne Potts ’00 has executive produced a new documentary that takes a different approach by highlighting the success of conservation efforts at Vermejo, a 558,000-acre Ted Turner Reserve in New Mexico. “Preserved” tells the story of  how a land depleted by mining, gas drilling, railroads, and homesteading has rebounded in amazing ways through the efforts of dedicated individuals committed to sustainable land management, rehabilitation, and conservation. The hopeful film, which is screening across the country and will be available on digital platforms later this year, is bringing together communities at screenings around the nation to witness and be inspired to local action by the transformation at Vermejo. DePauw University was the launching pad that made Mary Anne’s success possible. “We are selling out screenings across the country. We always try to do Q&As afterwards, because we really want it to be more than a movie but a shared experience. In Boulder, an audience member raised his hand and said, “I haven't been as moved since I read “Silent Spring.” We are excited about the positive, inclusive  way the film has come together and is making audiences feel hopeful and empowered,” Mary Anne says.

When she came to DePauw in 1996, a high school teacher had already recognized her talent for writing, planting a seed that would become her dream – to be a writer and editor for National Geographic. What she found at DePauw were the mentors and opportunities that set her on a path to achieving that dream:

• Three study abroad experiences (Paris, Madrid, Bolivia).

• Professors, like Barbara Bean, who recognized and refined her writing talent.

• An advisor, Professor Tom Chiarella, who provided clear and influential guidance on post-grad steps to success.

•  Co-curricular experiences like DJing for WGRE and writing for Eye on the World student magazine.

Studying abroad was “so illuminating” and an “incredible growth experience,” she says. While in Madrid, she lived with a family, and the Senora helped her get into a flamenco dance class and made friends with local dancers.

“When you're in a country that doesn't speak your language, it's a little different. How do you manifest your goals there when you have to learn how to express them? It was really rich. It was great. Coming out of college with those three very different international experiences set me up to get the job that I wanted, because I had a broader world view than your average 22-year-old.”

On campus, Professor Barbara Bean praised her writing and nominated her for a university writing award which was so validating and gave her the confidence to continue pursuing her dream. After honing her skills in writing and liberal arts classes, Professor Tom Chiarella advised Mary Anne to enroll in a publishing program at New York University. She pursued a course of study in magazine publishing, which showed her the ropes of New York City-based magazines. After NYU, Mary Anne landed a job for Blue, an adventure travel startup magazine in New York described as “National Geographic with a rock and roll soundtrack.” Just a year later, she applied for a job at National Geographic’s Adventure, and ended up working  for National Geographic for 15 years, deepening and broadening her skillset over the years from print to digital to social media and even producing short videos.

During the pandemic when it seemed there would be no new international travel for the foreseeable future, Mary Anne and her mountaineer filmmaker husband moved to Denver.  She began working as director of content programming for Indigo Ag, where she got an immersive education in sustainable agricultural practices that are better for humans and the environment. When her husband filmed a video about ultra-runners in Vermejo, he and Mary Anne saw their interests intersecting in a new way.

“We realized, wow, this is a much bigger story than just a nice place to go. This is an incredible story about restoring ecosystems -- people working as part of nature,” Mary Anne says.

Soon after, the “Preserved” film project was born. Mary Anne coordinated financing and logistics while her husband focused on interviews and filming. They wrote the narrative and finished post-production together and are now taking the film across the country in partnership with local land trusts and other environmental, agricultural, and community organizations.

Last June, Mary Anne returned to DePauw for Alumni Reunion Weekend. She found another bit of synergy when she visited the university’s Ullem Family Campus Farm and Center for Sustainability with its community garden and agricultural test plots. While she was growing in her knowledge and experience of nature, agriculture, and sustainability, DePauw had grown in a similar direction. “I feel such an attachment to DePauw. Maybe I didn't fully understand at graduation; you don't know where your life is going and you’re just stepping out into the world. You don't know the things that DePauw has given you until later. It takes that kind of stepping away, living your life, and then coming back to find that.”

If you are interested in supporting experiences for current students that produce meaningful success and fulfillment like Mary Anne has created, contact Associate Vice President for Development Christian Shuck at 765-658-4863 or christianshuck@depauw.edu and be sure to participate in annual giving to The Fund for DePauw. Every gift of any size matters. Collectively, alumni and friends make a difference for DePauw students.