In 1984, Mary Fran moved to Chicago to become deputy chief of local floodplain programs in the state’s Division of Water Resources. She continued donating her time and energy to key ASFPM assignments, including program chair of the 1987 national conference in Seattle.

Mary Fran’s impact on the association and its leaders was greater than would even be assumed by her various important roles and titles. During these early years, she was present at all key meetings of the board and the administrative council of ASFPM.  Although Patricia Bloomgren served as chair in 1978-79 — the first female to do so — the ASFPM leadership tended to be dominated by the “old boys” in those early years. But not when Mary Fran was there. By her presence and her input, she worked from the inside to make the leaders more aware of ingrained biases and attitudes and thereby making the association more diverse and inclusive. In 1995, she received ASFPM’s highest honor, the Goddard-White Award.  

Mary Fran likely would have become chair of ASFPM, but was no longer eligible to serve on the board after she left the state agency in 1988 to become program administrator and later co-director of the Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center at the University of Colorado Boulder. During that time, she remained highly active in ASFPM and worked with all of the directors, including Gilbert White, William (Riebsame) Travis, Dennis Mileti, and Kathleen Tierney. She was also a mentor to the current director, Lori Peek, when Lori was just a graduate student. She did many things at the Center, including to advance collaborations among researchers, policymakers, and practitioners. Her dedication to this mission was evident in all she did, especially in the many thoughtful Natural Hazards Workshop programs she put together, which often centered on issues of floodplain management, preparedness, and what is now widely called resilience.

Mary Fran was not only a champion of bridging research and practice, but worked to include many other unheard voices in conversations about floods and other disasters. Her dedication to supporting students, practitioners, and international professionals resulted in the formation of the Mary Fran Myers Scholarship, which provides funds for those with limited means to attend the Natural Hazards Workshop. Her recognition that social, cultural, and economic structures often marginalize girls and women led to the creation of another program — the Mary Fran Myers Gender and Disaster Award — that for 20 years honored women whose work reduced vulnerability and furthered opportunities for other historically marginalized groups.

Although Mary Fran died of cancer in 2004, these awards continue to change the lives of their recipients, much the same way that Mary Fran impacted the lives of those who knew her. Her integrity, honesty, and leadership set an example for us all to follow and has left a legacy of innovation and inclusiveness in the floodplain management and disaster research community.