Mary Button — A Positive Community Influence

by Barbara Petty
July 2009

"I’m not usually an upfront person so this is not as natural for me as some…"

So began the interview with Mary Button, co-owner with husband Alan of the Sanford-based radio station, Life 103.1, WLHC-FM. When Mary approached us about the possibility of creating a trade relationship between Life 103.1 and Boom!, it made perfect sense. Our target audience is similar, and coverage areas overlap. Plus we have similar business philosophies in that we both want to "Filter out the noise… [deliver] accurate news reporting… and [provide] information that defines and affirms all that is good about life in the heart of Carolina."

B: Tell us a little bit about your background.

M: I was born in Virginia but was raised primarily in upstate New York —the Finger Lakes area. We shoveled out the driveway six months out of the year!

I went to college at Cornell and majored in hotel administration. My father worked at Cornell so we had a tuition break, and that helped tremendously. At Cornell you could do just about anything, and my father used to say, ‘Love everything!’ So I explored my options. Basically hotel administration is a business major focused on the hospitality industry — I had accounting and personnel courses, but I also had microbiology and electrical engineering.

My husband Alan was a Biology major also at Cornell. He was already finished with school, but I was a senior when we got married. After graduation we moved to Lexington, Virginia so Alan could attend Washington and Lee University Law School. I worked to support him for three years. It was crazy living in married student housing that were old WWII barracks, but we loved those years; we were together and we were happy.

In 1988, Alan decided to get a master’s in law, so we moved to Cambridge, England for a year. It was also a wonderful experience. We did not have a car; we tooled around on our bikes or used public transportation to go exploring.

We came to North Carolina when Alan was offered a teaching job at Campbell University. One of the things I missed the most was being able to get around on my bike. I tried it once and rode on Highway 421, but never did that again! But you adjust wherever you go—bloom where you’re planted!

B: What were you doing all of this time?

M: I was a teacher at a community college, and worked for a law firm for a while. I enjoyed the opportunity to interact with the students while at Cambridge, so I began interacting with the students at Campbell. We would have students in our home fairly regularly; we even hosted a weekly bible study at the house.

I began teaching some ESL classes (English as a Second Language) at Central Carolina Community College. The most rewarding class was working with Moms. Most of the students were Mexican, and had never attended any school. The thing I enjoyed the most was being able to teach these women how to read English, when they couldn’t even read in their native language. I hoped that this skill would be helpful to them teaching or at least helping their own children learn English.

B: How did you get into the radio business?

M: Alan bought the radio station WLHC-FM several years ago. We were both aware of the huge influence that media has on our environment, and we wanted to do something positive. Our faith is important to us, and although the format is not Christian, we can focus on family-friendly entertainment.An opportunity came up for me to do radio sales in 2005. It was a challenge because I did not know radio, and I did not know sales. But it gave me a chance to get involved with local businesses. Plus I see it as an opportunity to do public relations, and who better to represent your business than the business owner? So I focus on building relationships. I know we offer value, so I present opportunities to get involved with the station.

B: How has the radio station changed over the last few years?

M: The Internet has created a lot of opportunity, and the streaming capability that we started a few months ago has been a huge step for us. I think there is a lot of growth that is going to come out of that. In terms of the radio industry nationally, we are a smaller market, so for us, we need to continue to connect with the community. And of course The Morning Show with Steve Koranda is another positive way to reach out to the community.

Speaking of community outreach, Alan is on the board of directors for the Sanford Chamber of Commerce, and he is also part of DSI, which stands for Downtown Sanford Improvement. We are also members of the Chambers in Chatham and Moore counties.

B: What do you like to do in your spare time?

M: I enjoy traveling, I like to cook, and I love to garden — I used to volunteer at the Arboretum in Raleigh — and I do love to be involved with the community. I love our dog; she is a big part of our life, and our daily walks are very important to me. Sometimes she comes to the station with me!

But I do need to be a bit more balanced. Sometimes I think, ‘What is life?’ We lost a good friend just recently who died of cancer. And it makes you realize that life is short, and you want the things that you do to count for something. The best way to think about it is to reach out and serve. I hope to be able to do more of that, and to not have any regrets.

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