Mary Knarr (she/her) holds a PhD in History and has her ACC with the International Coaching Federation. She has been coaching formally and informally for decades, beginning in her youth by providing space for her seedlings to grow in the harsh Texas climate, and more recently helping people find ways to flourish in their own environments.
Like most, her path has been shaped by blessings and challenges. She is a mother, partner, and a proud animal caretaker for all dogs, cats, and other assorted critters. Professionally, Mary has taught at religious and private institutions in Texas and Nebraska, with over a decade of experience in learning and development. Her journey taught Mary how powerfully our stories shape our lives. Then, seasons of a career upheaval and a health journey, including diagnoses of Sjögren’s Disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis, brought Mary into a new rhythm of reflection, healing, and spiritual attentiveness. She felt the Spirit moving in profound ways, leading her to delve deeper into the coaching world and to become an active member of her local church, where she discovered a supportive community needed at that life moment.
Mary loves coaching, and knowing the Spirit is always at work, causing some mischief or movement. She walks alongside leaders, professionals, and anyone discerning a new way forward, whether through a diagnosis, a vocational question, or the sheer weight of life.
When not coaching, Mary can be found outside gardening, romping with her dogs, or causing chaos with her teenage daughter.
Mission: Cultivating Your Calling
Vision: Nobody Journeys Alone
Coaches connect dreams to concrete actions that create change for individuals and congregations.
The ELCA's offices are located on the ancestral homelands of the Peoria, Bodwéwadmi (Potawatomi), Myaamia (Miami), Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Sioux), Hoocąk (Ho-Chunk), and Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo) tribal nations. We give thanks for their presence here since time immemorial.