Mary Clements

When Mary Clements talks about water, you quickly realize this is more than a job for her.

In her role with Pure Water Resources, she’s diving into the dangers of microplastics in our water, dealing with underground infrastructure and problems with accessibility to a basic human need.

“I help organizations fix a blind spot in their infrastructure,” she explained. “It’s hard to believe that something so essential is so overlooked.”

Mary often swims against the tide when talking about water. Reaching decision-makers means tailoring different messages around sustainability, health and safety, and workforce concerns for facilities leaders, operations directors, maintenance teams, and even front-desk gatekeepers.

But she has a plan. Get in “early” with builders and developers but consider that modern water dispensary machines are harder for maintenance teams to maintain after buildings have been built.

“Drinking water is a big topic,” she admitted. “Whether the angle is fear, acceptance or rewards, I’m still creating awareness. But I’ve got to know state laws and what OSHA says.”

“Most organizations say they prioritize employee wellbeing. But walk through a hospital, corporate campus, or multi-building property, and you’ll often see a different reality,” she added.

Mary partners with enterprise organizations to modernize drinking water infrastructure at scale. She works with healthcare systems, universities, property management groups, and large employers across Richmond, Virginia to replace outdated, inefficient water setups with solutions that are cleaner, more reliable, and significantly more cost-effective. This is about more than water. It’s about operational impact.

Mary lives in the beautiful city of Richmond, Virginia where there's all kinds of hiking trails, bridges and a fantastic skyline.

She is a fan of thrifting, both for fun and sustainability. Many of her favorite finds came from thrift stores, where she says the quality often surpasses what’s made today. “Even good brands aren’t built the same anymore,” she said. “I love to thrift.” Luckily, Richmond has no shortage of great thrift stores.

So how did Mary gather her professional experiences together in a meaningful way?

Working as a radiology technology assistant helped Mary learn how to stay calm when people are anxious, pay attention to details that matter, and keep things moving when timing is critical. Her real estate experience in New York City sharpened a different set of instincts including learning how to read people quickly, communicate clearly, solve problems on the fly and earn trust in a city where everyone is in a hurry and every decision carries weight.

Becoming a certified clinical medical assistant brought those worlds together combining patient care, organization, technical knowledge and the ability to handle pressure without losing focus.

All these roles depend on human connection, awareness and responsiveness. Whether you are helping a patient through a difficult moment, guiding a family through a property decision or supporting a clinical team during a busy day, the common thread is confidence, communication and the ability to make people feel supported.

Her advice to women is not to underestimate the value of a career built on the foundations different industries. Moving from one industry to another can feel disconnected in the moment, but over time every role is transferable. Healthcare is all about Mary empathy and operations. Beauty gave her confidence, presentation, and client trust. Consultative sales has brought all of that together.

“The best mentors I’ve had were people who let me ask questions, observe, and learn how decisions are really made,” Mary said. “My biggest advice is to get as much real-world experience as possible: walk the buildings, talk to the people doing the work, listen before you pitch, and pay attention to details others miss. Associations, local networking groups, women-in-business organizations, and facility management communities are also great places to learn the language of an industry and build relationships that can open doors.”