Mary Ellen (Hammond) Mondi, has a master’s degree in business from Harvard, has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and currently works as the Director of Marketing, Final Control at Emerson Electric. She is also the newly elected president of the Central Iowa Art Association (CIAA) who has plans to revitalize the organization and broaden community outreach.

At the CIAA’s annual members meeting in May, Mondi was struck by the rich history of the group’s activities promoting and supporting the arts in Marshalltown for nearly 70 years, and decided to voice an interest in aiding the group’s efforts.

Renata Pecar, a CIAA board member, nominated Mondi for the presidency and she was elected this month.

“I felt her energy, her business experience and passion for art and involvement in the community is just so impressive,” Pecar said.

The CIAA is a non-profit group that seeks to “inspire and enhance lives through the visual arts with a mission to promote visual arts through quality instruction, exhibitions and community outreach.”

The organization offers art classes for artists of all ages, has a fifth generation state-of-the-art MakerBot 3D printer housed in its studio as well as five laptops computers donated by Emerson for use with the printer, located in the Fisher Community Center, 709 S Center St. in Marshalltown.

Mondi, a native of Texas but with family going back several generations in Iowa, was excited to have the chance to work and live in Iowa when she moved here in October 2013 to join the Final Control business group that includes Fisher, Bettis (located in Houston) and Virgo (located in Pune, India).

Mondi has worked for Goldman Sachs, The World Bank, served on numerous boards and visited more than 30 countries. Her experience in the art world extends to consulting projects she did with the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the Washington Performing Arts Society, both in Washington, D.C.

Mondi’s local community involvement includes being a member of the Marshalltown Rotary Club and she is a board member of the Friends of the Marshalltown Public Library.

Mondi said she was impressed by the Fisher Community Center’s extensive fine arts collection and the CIAA’s work preserving and expanding the exhibits.

Mondi wants to create new art programs, expand membership, increase the active volunteer base, create a traveling exhibit of CIAA’s history and continue to preserve the group’s legacy. The organization plans to organize a membership drive in September, identify new grant opportunities and determine whether or not a new full-time CIAA director can be obtained.

“We have a new three-year strategic plan focused on collaboration and sustainability of the organization,” Mondi said.

A new assortment of Mexican ceramics, donated by Gary Eason Eige, are currently on display with more pieces expected to arrive. In addition, a CIAA Endowment with Community Foundation of Marshalltown was established through a donation by Carl and Barbara Giannetto. A scholarship fund was set up within the endowment as a means of providing scholarships to students who want to get involved in CIAA’s activities.

“It’s so rare to find such high quality historical pieces in one place. It is truly a unique asset this community has and the CIAA is really a steward of this,” Mondi concluded.

Mary Ellen Mondi replaces Sue Clark, who did not seek re-election after her term expired due to wanting to devote more time to her art career.

Yearly membership to the CIAA ranges in price from $10 for children, $40 for an individual and $60 for a family, and includes access to the studio, the ability to create and store projects and check out art reference books. Membership provides a 10 percent discount on classes and all art materials and supplies sold in the Art Supply Store. Contact the CIAA at 641-753-9013 or info@theartcentermarshalltown.org.