Mary Culler is president of Ford Philanthropy, a role she assumed Jan. 1, 2020, overseeing the company’s philanthropic investments through community partnerships and programming in more than 40 countries. She is also the Chair for Ford’s Michigan Central Station project, overseeing the strategic direction of the historic train station redevelopment and other Ford properties in Corktown.

Prior to these roles, Culler served as Bill Ford’s chief of staff for eight years. She was also the director of U.S. State and Local Government Relations where she managed Ford’s engagement with policymakers nationwide on a wide range of automotive and community issues. Her team also negotiated investment and job creation incentives in Ford plant states.

Other positions at Ford included managing Ford’s North Central Region’s Government Relations Office in Chicago, Illinois, where she spearheaded the company’s Operation Better World community and dealer relations efforts. She also led Ford’s Global Public Policy office in Dearborn, Michigan, managing the development of key company policies and positions.

Prior to joining Ford in 1999, Culler worked for Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley as manager of the city’s Industrial Development Program. In that capacity, she worked with businesses on economic development and job creation initiatives.

Culler also held several positions at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C., including deputy director of the National Brownfields program where she launched the national program to remove regulatory barriers regarding the cleanup of abandoned industrial properties. She also worked in the U.S. Senate on energy and natural resource issues for the Chair of the Energy and Natural Resource Committee. 

Culler holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University. She lives in Birmingham, Michigan, with her husband, Andy Norman, and their three children.