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WEIRTON -- Mary Ann Zumer Reese of Weirton has been inducted into Marquis Who's Who Biographical Registry.
Individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value, according to a press release, and factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility and prominence in a field are taken into account during the selection process.
Raised in New Cumberland, Reese resides in Weirton with her husband, Donald. They have a son, Matthew, and two grandchildren.
She has been a licensed social worker and award-winning pet and wildlife artist since the late 1970s. Her love of animals and 20 years volunteering for a local humane society stirred her interest in painting pets. Her business began in the early 1990s producing more than 800 portraits to date.
It is her goal, she noted, to capture a pet's soul essence and beloved character through the eyes. Her passion for drawing animals began at an early age.
From the mid- to late 1970s, Reese was a designer in the art department for nearly five years at Homer Laughlin China in Newell.
With prior coursework in psychology and nursing, she earned her bachelor's of arts degree in social work at Bethany College, a career inspired after her mother had experienced a rapid decline in health. She graduated summa cum laude and achieved various accolades, including nomination into the scholar program of the U.S. Achievement Academy and Pi Gamma Nu, the international honor society in social science.
Her career led her to jobs for the state of West Virginia as well as hospital, nursing home and hospice care. She facilitated a support group through the Greater East Ohio Regional 9 Alzheimer's Association for the 17 years.
A creative outlet in writing won her an award for poetry at the International Poet Society Convention in Washington, D.C., in 1997.
For the past two years she has been a member of the Weirton Rotary Club and designed its new banner depicting highlights of businesses in the community.