SHRM Foundation Resources: Are YOU Successfully Leveraging These Tools for Your Affiliate?
As the philanthropic arm of SHRM, the SHRM Foundation's mission is to mobilize the power of HR and activate the generosity of donors to lead positive social change impacting all things work. Don’t miss this informative session focused on the programs, resources and tools available to our volunteer leaders, including: innovative solutions to workplace inclusion challenges; programming designed to inspire and empower the next generation of HR leaders; our growing efforts for workplace mental health and wellness; and scholarships and professional development grants to educate and develop students and HR professionals. We will also review the fundraising tools and resources available to our affiliates, with SHRM Foundation staff available after the presentation to answer your questions.
Wendi Safstrom
Wendi Safstrom is a senior non-profit leader committed to serving the public through philanthropic program management, cultivating strategic partnerships and managing and developing high performing teams. She has both association and nonprofit management experience including; national program development and administration, membership strategy, marketing and product development, grant management, development and donor stewardship, and leading cross functional teams. Safstrom currently serves as President for the Society for Human Resource Management Foundation (SHRM Foundation), where she leads the development and implementation of SHRM Foundation's programmatic, development, and marketing and communication strategies in support of SHRM Foundation's new mission and vision, creating growth plans and ensuring alignment with SHRM goals.
Prior to assuming the role at SHRM Foundation, Safstrom served as Vice President at the National Restaurant Association and National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, where she led the development and implementation of their Foundation's most recent five-year strategic plan, and was responsible for all Foundation programming, including workforce development initiatives, scholarship and event management, community relations and engagement initiatives. The NRAEF's philanthropic programming supported a number of audiences including high school youth, veterans transitioning from service to civilian work and life, opportunity youth and incumbent workers. Of particular note, she led the implementation of the restaurant industry's premier high school career and technical education program, growing the program to over 2,000 public high schools, engaging over 150,000 students annually, nationwide. In 2016, she served as lead project director for the development of a $10 million contract awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor to develop the hospitality industry's first apprenticeship program, and was instrumental in the Foundation's reorganization and relocation of operations from Chicago, Illinois to Washington, D.C., transforming the staff and culture.
Safstrom has also held human resource management roles with the Leo Burnett Company and Hyatt Hotels Corporation in Chicago, Illinois. She has a BS in Business Administration from the Eli Broad School of Business at Michigan State University and was recognized as a member of the 2014 "Power 20" by Restaurant Business Magazine as a leader in philanthropy within the restaurant industry.
Elizabeth Kohm
Elizabeth is currently the Manager, Foundation Programs overseeing SHRM Foundation’s strategic priority of Building Inclusive Workplaces. In that capacity, she oversees the Foundation’s initiatives around leveraging untapped talent including Veterans At Work, Employing Abilities and Getting Talent Back to Work. She joins the Foundation with extensive experience across the corporate, nonprofit, and government sectors. She most recently served as the Deputy Executive Director for PFLAG National working to advance equality and anti-discrimination efforts. In that role, she also partnered with corporate diversity and HR professionals on partnerships to impact the workplace culture for the LGBTQ community. She lives in Alexandria with her spouse, two sons, and an oversized rescue dog.
Mary Wright
Mary V. L. Wright leads one of the SHRM Foundation’s four pillars of work: Skill Building - Preparing People for Today’s and Tomorrow’s Workplaces. A critical part of that effort is leading the implementation of the US DOL funded HR Registered Apprenticeship Program, the first national HR apprenticeship program. As such, she is responsible for all parts of the program – development, marketing, sales, budget and evaluation. In addition, she leads the Foundation’s work on the role of credentials in achieving an organization’s diversity, equity and inclusion goals and is an integral part of the team in promoting the inclusion of untapped talent in the workforce.
Ms. Wright has many years of experience connecting the public and private sectors in municipal finance, government affairs, and workforce development as a project leader, facilitator and subject matter expert.
Previously, Ms. Wright was a director at Jobs for the Future (JFF) where she designed and supervised the completion of foundation, government and employer-funded projects on topics including: expanding employability skills, developing apprenticeship and work-based learning strategies, utilizing labor market information to determine educational focus, better hiring and training practices for people with disabilities, improving entry level jobs for the retail sector, determining the correct educational focus for specific geographic areas including the state of Florida and Columbus Ohio, and an in-depth analysis of green infrastructure jobs.
Prior to joining JFF, she served as director at The Conference Board in New York City, driving its work in workforce readiness, business, and education partnerships. She also focused on improving the employment outcomes for people with disabilities through research and convenings. Ms. Wright co-authored or acted as project director on several key Conference Board reports regarding workforce readiness skills, including Are They Really Ready to Work? and The Ill-Prepared Workforce.
She serves on the Board of Directors of the Institute for Work & the Economy and the Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation.
Ms. Wright received a Master of Business Administration in public/nonprofit management from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Affairs from Connecticut College.
Ellen Christman
Christman serves as the head of Engagement and Philanthropy for the Society of Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) Foundation. In this capacity, she raises funds and visibility for the 501c (3) philanthropic arm of the world’s largest HR professional society. The SHRM Foundation is mobilizing the power of HR for social change. Its robust programming and resources, meaningful partnerships, and evidenced-based research are educating and empowering HR professionals to hire diverse talent, build inclusive workplaces, and help employees find purpose at work and beyond.
For almost a decade, Christman provided strategic counsel to MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership – co-founded by philanthropists Ray Chambers and Geoff Boisi. In that capacity, Christman helped start and raised funding for their MENTOR Illinois partnership; she also worked with a team to create MENTOR’s first National Mentoring Summit with the former First Lady of the United States as keynote speaker; and designed messaging, materials and overall branding opportunities for the national organization.
Christman helped lead the New York City based HELP USA’s foundation’s marketing, communications and revenue development activities. HELP USA is a $120 million national nonprofit organization that provides housing and supportive services for the homeless. Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York founded this non-profit organization. Christman has also helped national organizations serving America’s veterans, ensuring Congressional leaders, The White House and other DC influencers are aware of these veteran’s services and corporate, foundation and individual donors are supporting veterans.
Christman also led corporate communications and industry relations divisions for the National Restaurant Association’s Educational Foundation in Chicago, IL, securing more than $15 million, including funds from two federal grants; managed programming and marketing for The Coca-Cola Company’s recruitment and retention program; handled relations with national sponsors, including American Express, Ecolab, Sodexho, the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation and H.J. Heinz; and developed strategic marketing and communications for the school-to-career program, establishing it in 30 states.
Christman began her career at Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide in Washington, DC, helping create and implement a national marketing and communications strategy for the U.S. Department of Labor’s $400 million school-to-career program. Christman was also in charge of the DC-based Taste of the Nation event with Share our Strength. Additional clients included Pfizer, Glaxo Wellcome, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Education.
Christman’s volunteer activities include being a board and active committee member for the Visiting Nurse Association of Somerset Hills; the Clarence Dillon Public Library; and Far Hills Country Day School. She is a member of MENTOR IL’s Advisory Council and has been on the associate boards of the Boys & Girls Club, Chicago; Big Shoulders Fund, Chicago; and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.
She is also a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals; NY Women in Communications; and the American Society of Association Executives. She graduated from Boston College.
Vernon Williams, Ed.D.
Dr. Vernon Williams is the Operations Manager for the CEO Academy. In partnership with The Wharton School and powered by SHRM, CEO Academy connects leaders to their peers with the aim of gaining insight into strategy, innovation, growth, finance, talent, compensation, succession, governance and other issues of pressing concern to organizations. Dr. Williams has worked at SHRM for the past three years, previously as a part of the SHRM Foundation team supporting student Initiatives as well as managing the $500,000 portfolio of scholarships, professional development grants, and awards.
Prior to joining the SHRM Foundation, Dr. Williams was the Assistant Dean of Students and spent over 20 years in higher education overseeing various student service units including, Campus Events, Conduct, Crisis Response, Engagement, Graduate Services, Housing, and Orientation at such institutions including George Washington University, in Washington, DC and Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA.
Whether supporting educational programs on-campus or through professional organizations, Dr. Williams enjoys helping others develop and maximize their potential. Dr. Williams displays this passion outside of work as well through community-based initiatives, including SOUL, an organization that uses sports to connect high school aged youth to diverse opportunities that build the life skills needed to succeed academically and professionally.
Dr. Williams earned his doctorate in Higher Education from George Washington University. He earned his Master of Business Administration from Loyola University in Maryland and a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from Morgan State University.