foundation leadership
For more than three decades, John and Mari-Lyn Parry have sustained a family-first approach while encouraging and supporting each other’s individual careers and personal interests. Together, they founded Connected Spirit, a 501(c)(3) organization, to scale collective impact.
Following graduation from the Academy of Court Reporting, Mari-Lyn was a court stenographer for Stoll, Peiser & Snider in Akron, Ohio, and later, the family and juvenile court system in Broward County, Florida. Drawing upon her expertise with legal documentation, Mari-Lyn transitioned to National City Bank of Indiana, where she served as the executive assistant for the Chief Legal Counsel in the Law Department. She also created and organized the documents for National City’s Board of Directors meetings. Complementing her work in the corporate space, Mari-Lyn volunteered her time with First Congregational Church of Tallmadge, accounting for their $500,000 annual financial budget. Purposefully setting her career aside, Mari-Lyn led the management of the Parry household, raising two children. Mari-Lyn is an avid runner, biker, hiker and gardener. Through extensive travel, she supports and promotes America’s national parks. No stranger to dedication and discipline, Mari-Lyn has competitively run three marathons and more than twenty half marathons.
John Parry joined the Buffalo Bills coaching staff in 2024, following five years with ESPN Monday Night Football as an NFL officiating analyst. John retired from a 19-season career with the National Football League after working his third Super Bowl. While building his escalating path in football officiating, John, as a graduate of Purdue University’s Aviation Technology school, completed an 18-year career as a corporate pilot. He also built an independent financial services business, providing financial planning and asset management services, overseeing more than $16 million in assets for a wide range of clients. An avid tennis fan, John started and led a summer youth tennis academy for three years, reinvigorating his community’s high school tennis program. He also served as a line judge at the 2018 US Open. Across multiple industries, John has carried a commitment to dominating the details, ensuring uncompromising preparation and delivering transparent communication.
Madalyn Parry began her career as a daycare teacher at Looking Glass Learning Center while completing her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education at Kent State University. After quickly moving into manager and instructional systems design roles at the childcare center, she expanded her knowledge and skills by training at the Summit County Juvenile Court to become a certified court appointed special advocate, supporting youth in foster care experiencing neglect and/or abuse. Upon graduation from Kent State University, Madalyn moved to Baltimore, Maryland for a kindergarten teaching position at a Title I (high percentage of low income) school in the Baltimore City School District. Her work supporting children continues as she begins her second year teaching kindergarten while pursuing a master's degree in education policy from Johns Hopkins University. She is also leading professional development opportunities for other educators and advocating for children at risk through various nonprofit work.