When you enter the south entrance to our building, and look to the left, you’ll likely see Mary Jackson working away at her desk. She works closely with manager Margarida Eidson in handling day to day operations.
Born and raised in Ventura, she graduated from Ventura High School. The only time she has been away from her roots were the 10 years she spent in Fresno. There she earned both BA and MA degrees in education at Cal State University, and simultaneously started her family with her husband David. They moved back to Ventura in 1994, with three young daughters and one on the way.
Mary met David when they were both waiting tables at the historic Pierpont Inn. They married in June of 1984 and are about to celebrate their 40th anniversary. During their marriage they have been blessed with four daughters, three sons-in-law, and six grandchildren, with a 7th expected soon.
She and David love to take little trips, like up the California coast, or to Sedona, Arizona. They also like to visit with their daughter’s families to see their grandchildren. The photo collage of her and her husband speaks volumes.
Mary spent the majority of her career teaching, including nine years at a private school in Ventura. In 2002, Mary left full-time teaching to care for her 9-year-old daughter, Amanda, who was diagnosed with a childhood cancer called neuroblastoma. She was in and out of treatment over the next 12 years, and finally succumbed to the disease in June 2015. Mary’s 94-year-old mother also passed away a few months later.
Not knowing what she would do in this new phase of life after caring for her daughter and mother, Mary began looking for a new career direction. She was introduced, by a mutual friend, to Margarida Eidson in the fall of 2015 and began doing part-time clerical work for Eidson Management.
Mary loved it, and the rest is history. Mary states that: “meeting Margarida was a Godsend. I needed something to give me a new purpose,”. Yet she didn’t want to return to the grind of teaching.
Shortly thereafter, Eidson Management was hired to manage the Pavilion … and Mary became an integral part of the team which continues to manage the operations today.
She loves her job because every day is different, and she takes great satisfaction in helping and working with people. Her daily routine includes answering the phone, greeting clients and guests, coordinating and managing the 80-90 monthly events, and assisting Margarida in what she calls the “back office” with light bookkeeping.
During this interview, she shared an empathic side of her. While many of the events are joyous occasions, and often somewhat mundane business meetings, the Pavilion hosts many Celebrations of Life. People call or come in just days after the loss of a dear loved one, wanting to plan a gathering for family and friends. Mary listens closely and helps the clients think through exactly what they want, making a plan for a special time together with family and friends.
These days, in addition to her busy schedule at work, and spending time with her children and grandchildren, she and David are remodeling the home they have lived in for many years.
If one spends a few minutes in her office, you’ll see she is often dealing with several tasks and priorities at the same time. Mary is one of those special people who works hard, supports her boss by handling the daily details of running the facility, takes care of business at hand, and never complains.
Thank you, Mary, for all that you have done for the Pavilion and its guests over the years.
RICH SPRAGUE
Rich is responsible for the Pavilion marketing. He created our business rebrand, including the design of our new logo, the production of our marketing materials, and the development of our new website. He is extremely passionate towards the complete marketing and sales process. In addition to his Master’s Degree in Web Design & New Media, he has a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and has been writing articles since high school. Rich's email is rich@richsprague.com.
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