Mary Thompson

Mary Thompson is the Executive Director of Apple Seeds, an Arkansas nonprofit dedicated to inspiring children to develop lifelong healthy habits through hands-on cooking, gardening, and agriculture education. With well over 10 years of executive nonprofit leadership, she has built Apple Seeds from an initial concept into one of the state’s leading food education organizations, reaching more than 20,000 elementary students annually through evidence-based programming and partnerships with schools and community organizations. 

With a background in biology and a master’s degree in architecture, Mary brings a systems-thinking approach to nonprofit leadership — pairing scientific discipline with creative, spatial problem-solving to design programs, organizations, and physical environments where people and communities thrive. Under her leadership, Apple Seeds has strengthened its organizational culture, diversified its fundraising, and built the financial foundation to sustain long-term growth, while advancing a statewide vision to bring nutrition education to children in every region of Arkansas. 

Mary’s leadership extends beyond Apple Seeds through service on community advisory bodies, including the Arkansas Children’s Community Advisory Board, and through her work with Blue Waters Integrative Consulting, where she brings her nonprofit expertise and culture-driven execution to help other organizations build systems where people and programs thrive.