After graduating from Stephens College in Columbia, MO, Mara got her professional start as an actress with Minnesota Rep playing Anita in West Side Story. She then moved to Chicago and had a busy 10 years working in theatre. In 1996 she moved to Los Angeles became a Casting Director in 2000, best known for the series Gilmore Girls (with partner Jami Rudofsky). When the show ended she started an actor's collective which concentrated on eclectic content and featured industry professionals (James Gunn, Danny Strong, Wendi McClendon-Covey) guesting and leading classes. Some of Mara's collective members included Jerrika Hinton, Katie Lowes, Elizabeth Chomko and Sean Gunn.Her concentration for the last few years has been on photography, specializing in kids and pets.