Maryellen H. Gleason began her tenure as president and CEO of The Phoenix Symphony in December 2002.

Gleason, who worked for Qwest (formerly US WEST) for 10 years, served as a regional sales director with Qwest Global Business Markets, leading teams in sales of global networks for hosting, long distance, private line and other communications solutions for Global accounts in Arizona and Utah. She previously held management, marketing, consulting and sales positions with AT&T and GTE.

Before beginning her 18-year telecommunications career, Gleason worked her way through college at Harvard University, graduating cum laude with a bachelor's degree in liberal arts, while working for Harvard Student Agencies and playing the viola in the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra. As development director for the Pierian Sodality of 1808 (The Harvard Radcliffe Orchestra, the oldest orchestra in the United States), Gleason led a successful $184,000 campaign for the orchestra's 1984 tour of Europe and the former Soviet Union.

Gleason moved to the Valley in 1984 to work for GTE Communication Systems. She then moved to Indiana to work for GTE North where she led the launch and growth to profitability of the GTE North Classic Senior PGA Tour event in Indianapolis. Noted as the favorite tour stop by the Senior Players and one of the most commercially successful events on the tour, the event was a noteworthy collaboration and partnership with community leaders, local and national sponsors and 1,200 community volunteers.

Gleason graduated from the Northwestern University Kellogg Graduate School of Management Executive Masters Degree Program in 2001. As a part of the North American Program at Kellogg, she commuted for two years to the Evanston, Ill. campus from Phoenix while working full time for US WEST. Gleason is the president of the Harvard Club of Phoenix and has served on several non-profit boards including Phoenix Day Child Development Center and Scottsdale Center for the Handicapped.

Gleason resides in Phoenix with her husband, Kim Ohlemeyer, principal trombonist with The Phoenix Symphony, and their sons Eliot, a member of The Phoenix Boys Choir, and Jacob.