Perhaps no other Star graduate can better counsel fellow alumni on what to buy – and why – than Mary Butler.

Mary, who graduated in December 1985 after guiding the newspaper through the tumultuous spring semester that year, has devoted her professional career to consumer journalism.

She started at Consumers Digest in Chicago, where she stayed until 1997 and rose to senior Internet editor. She also spent five years learning personal finance while writing for the company’s “Your Money” magazine. More recently, she helped to launch cars.com. The job also meant answering – in addition to asking – questions about what shoppers should know when buying cars.

In December, Mary moved to New York City to become autos editor for Forbes.com. The new Web site goes live later this year.

“With the way we’re able to deliver information, the feedback is instantaneous,” she says. “If you’re doing something wrong, you know it immediately.”

The Chicago native came to NIU after earning her associate’s degree at Moraine Valley Community College. She felt the tug of news-editorial after one semester in the advertising/public relations track, joining the Star in January 1984.

“I always wanted a career as a writer and, also being an inquisitive person, I thought that any job where you can get paid to ask people a lot of questions was attractive,” she says. “What really impacted me at the Star was the hands-on approach. I’ve hired interns from a number of other college newspapers, and I’ve noted that a lot of those students didn’t really have the aggressiveness in terms of reporting and tracking stories down and doing primary research, which I find is key to succeeding at this career.”

When part of the Star’s staff walked out in fall 1984, Mary was the managing editor. It fell to her that next semester to mend fences and lead the march forward.

“It wasn’t enjoyable,” she says, “but it was the best preparation in dealing with different people. When you’re working in the publishing environment, people tend to be very passionate about what they’re doing. This is beyond an 8-to-5 job. This is beyond a paycheck. The conflicts can become quite emotional.”

Mary’s husband, David Tainer, who teaches in the computer science department at DePaul University, will join her soon in Manhattan. Her move also meant the end of 10 years of dedicated service to the Northern Star as a member of the publication board.