Elliott Honors Her Mother by Leaving a Legacy at UNCP

The foundation for Mary Ann Elliott’s successful career in the satellite communications industry was built on the example set by her mother.

Mary McKenzie Edwards dedicated her life to the nursing profession after struggling financially to earn her degree during the Great Depression in Robeson County during the 1930’s.

"My mother was a selfless individual who gave of herself to others,” Elliott said. “She conveyed many life lessons to me and was truly called to be a nurse. She overcame many obstacles to attend nursing school and become a registered nurse in the thirties. Her never-give-up attitude was instilled in me so thoroughly that it became a foundation for my later success.”

To honor her mother’s legacy and pave the way for future nursing students, Elliott has made a bequest and life insurance gift to establish the McKenzie-Elliott School of Nursing at UNCP. Her gift will elevate the prominence of nursing education, attract further interest from prospective students, and bolster faculty recruitment efforts.

"My dream for the McKenzie-Elliott School of Nursing is it will not only improve healthcare outcomes in the surrounding area, but it will instill a desire for further education throughout the lives of students and those they serve," she said.

In 1991, Elliott founded Arrowhead Global Solutions, a satellite communications firm, which, over the next 17 years, grew to a multi-million-dollar operation that played a critical role in supporting American troops deployed overseas. Through her work with Arrowhead and other firms, Elliott spent more than 30 years supporting America's military, security, and intelligence communities.

During her career she was recognized as one of the nation’s top female satellite communications experts. In 2007 she became only the second woman inducted into the Space and Satellite Professionals International Hall of Fame. More recently, she served on the Board of Trustees at UNCP from 2017 to 2019.