Mary Stevens

Prior to joining On Purpose Mary worked in the Floods policy team at Defra, where she led work with Local Authorities and communities, including developing an action plan for Cumbria after the 2015 floods and negotiating the funding settlement for Local Authorities. She also worked at the Department for Communities and Local Government on a range of policy and strategic issues. In between leaving Defra and joining On Purpose Mary pursued a range of activities, mostly linked to her strong interest in environmental sustainability and community resilience. She has studied environmental decision-making with the Open University, run a woodland conservation weekend and supported the Green Party and cycling campaign groups with policy advice. She worked as a member host at the Impact Hub Islington, where she co-curated an event on the future of work, and as a freelance associate for the RSA, co-designing a round-table on innovation and systems thinking. She is also the vice-chair of governors in a primary school. She holds a BA in French and History from Oxford University (including a year of political science in Paris), and a PhD in French Studies from University College London. Her PhD project - which she developed into a report for the Institute for Public Policy Research - focused on the shaping of identities in the national museum of immigration in France. She speaks French and German, and in her spare time is a keen cyclist.