March 29, 2024

CSM Foundation Names New Directors, Chair

CSM foundation

The College of Southern Maryland Foundation welcomed five new directors, among them, Bernadette “Birdie” Shannon of Leonardtown. RanĂ© Franklin was selected as chairwoman of the group.
“I am excited to help lead the CSM Foundation as we work to provide scholarships to students who without them would not be able to attend college. It is worth everything if I can help someone achieve their goals through education at CSM. I look forward to working with members of our community to become champions for CSM students,” Franklin said.
Also serving on the foundation are CSM alum Christine Rush as the immediate past chair, First Vice Chair Steve Proctor, Second Vice Chair Nancy Hempstead, trustee representative Ted Harwood, 1974 alum Greg Cockerham, 1969 alum Linda Cox, 2005 alum Leah Estevez, 2000 alum Ruth Ann Ferrell, David Hruda, US Navy retired Capt. Glen Ives, Al Leandre, 1975 alum Jay Lilly, Micheline Lopez-Estrada, Brenda Lowe, Jean McDougall, Vickie Milburn, Rob Price Jr., Thomas Quattlebaum, Kimberly Rosenfield, Gary Simpson, Stacy Trimble and Jennifer Wamsley.
New director Shannon retired as the senior human resources/senior budget adviser for the International Monetary Fund in 2014. She managed a range of human resources functions for the organization that employs more than 3,000 international staff located in more than 80 offices worldwide.
Shannon spent the majority of her career with the IMF advancing from senior human resources officer to deputy division chief to division chief. She also worked as the manager of compensation for the American Petroleum Institute and the US Chamber of Commerce.
With regard to her role with the CSM Foundation, Shannon sees the need to ensure excellent continuing education at reasonable costs.
“My undergraduate and graduate education was greatly assisted by the tuition reimbursement plans provided by the organizations for whom I worked. Many students today do not have these plans available to them and I believe that it is really important that communities provide quality education for an affordable price for all students–young and old. It just makes good economic sense for the entire community,” she said.
Shannon received a bachelor’s degree with honors and a master’s degree in management, finance and information technology from Marymount University.
She earned the IMF’s Excellence in Leadership Award in 2010; the first individual award given to a staff member in the organization’s history for her work and response to the H1N1 flu crisis and the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti. She earned the Gold Quill Award of Merit in 2009 for excellence in international communications from the International Association of Business Communicators.
Shannon is a member of the St. Mary’s Human Relations Commission.
The CSM Foundation promotes academic excellence, growth, progress, and the general welfare of the college by raising and managing funds, and by providing support to strengthen and develop the college and its objectives.
For information on the foundation, call 301-934-7649 or 301-870-2309, 240-725-5499 or 443-550-6199, ext. 7649 or click here.

For more about the College of Southern Maryland, visit their Leader member page.

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