E-mail: MaryAnn.Barton@Patch.com

Phone: (571) 439-5365

Hometown: Minnetonka, Minn. Mary Ann has also lived in Lima, Peru and Houston.

Mary Ann comes to Patch after working as a managing editor for  Gannett Digital, where she helped launch MomsLikeMe.com, a national network of local sites geared to moms. She has served as an editor at several national and regional magazines, including Log Home Design and Solutions at Home.

Her journalism stints include working as a feature writer for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, editorial coordinator for C-SPAN and as a senior editor for the National Association of Counties.

Mary Ann co-edited "Campaign: A Cartoon History of Bill Clinton's Race for the White House," published by her alma mater, the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark.

Mary Ann is married to Paul C. Barton and they have one daughter, Kate.

 At Patch, we promise always to report the facts as objectively as possible and otherwise adhere to the principles of good journalism. However, we also acknowledge that true impartiality is impossible because human beings have beliefs. So in the spirit of simple honesty, our policy is to encourage our editors to reveal their beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable. This disclosure is not a license for you to inject your beliefs into stories or to dictate coverage according to them. In fact, the intent is the opposite: we hope that the knowledge that your beliefs are on the record will cause you to be ever mindful to write, report and edit in a fair, balanced way. And if you ever see evidence that we failed in this mission, please let us know.

Politics
I lean liberal, although I like to think I take each issue as it comes. I have supported Hillary Clinton. I am not registered with any party. I have volunteered with the League of Women Voters to help register voters.

Religion
I was raised a Catholic, am observant of the religion and interested in other faiths.