Mary Wagoner is the Vice President, State and Local Finance. In this role, she leads the
Civic Committee’s work to address the fiscal challenges of the City of Chicago and State
of Illinois.
Since joining the Civic Committee in 2015, Mary has spearheaded the work of several
member-driven initiatives, including the Tax Policy Task Force, the State Finance Task
Force, and the City Finance Working Group. She has authored/co-authored several published reports, including Bringing Illinois Back: A Framework for our Future (2017), Restore Illinois: A Foundation for Growth (2019), and Securing Illinois’ Future: Stabilizing State Finances to Promote Long-Term Growth (2023).
Mary is a respected expert on Chicago and Illinois finances, particularly pensions, and
has testified before various committees in the Illinois General Assembly. Her subject
matter expertise also led to her appointment to the mayor’s Chicago Financial Future Task Force in 2025.
Prior to joining the Civic Committee, her professional experiences were in nonprofits
and government, including the Arlington County Treasurer’s Office in Arlington, VA.
Mary has a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the Harris School of Public Policy at
the University of Chicago and a BA in Political Science from the University of Mary
Washington. She is also an alumna of the inaugural class of the University of Virginia’s
Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership’s Emerging Leaders Program.
Mary lives in the western suburbs with her husband and daughter. In her spare time,
she enjoys doing crossword puzzles, traveling, baking, and cheering on the Washington
Capitals.
