MINNEAPOLIS, MN – June 24, 2021 – YWCA Minneapolis is pleased to announce that Shelley Carthen Watson has been elected its new president and CEO.
Shelley is a nationally-renowned labor and employment law expert and comes to YWCA Minneapolis from the University of Minnesota, where she has served as senior associate general counsel in the Office of the General Counsel, providing legal advice and counsel for a public research institution with over 30,000 employees.
Prior to her role at the University of Minnesota, Shelley was a partner with the law firm of Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi. She was the first African American woman to become a partner in a large law firm in the state of Minnesota. A former deputy commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Shelley also served as executive director of the Hennepin County Bar Association and Hennepin County Bar Foundation. An honors graduate of Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, Shelley received her law degree from Northwestern University School of Law in 1985.
Throughout her life and work, Shelley has been a dedicated mentor, a champion for uplifting others, especially youth of color, and a passionate advocate for eliminating inequitable barriers to success in our society.
As an advocate of youth development, Shelley served as president of the Minneapolis Chapter of Jack and Jill America, the sponsoring organization of the Rites of Passage program. Over the past 19 years, this program has recognized and assisted 275+ young African American men in their transition into leaders of tomorrow.
Shelley is a longtime supporter of YWCA Minneapolis and a two-term board member. She was a member of the successful Power to Soar campaign committee helping raise $22.5 million dollars to support and sustain YWCA Minneapolis’ future. Shelley received YWCA Minneapolis’ Woman of Power award in 2020 for her distinguished civic, professional and academic roles, and extraordinary commitment to YWCA values of peace, justice, freedom and dignity.
Additionally, Shelley’s community leadership includes serving as vice chair of the board of YWCA St. Paul, vice president of Programming at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Chapter of the Links, Inc., board member of the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law Black Alumni Association and Twin Cities co-chair of the Northwestern University Black Alumni Association. She is a former Macalester College trustee and has served as a board member with Planned Parenthood of North Central States; The Blake School and The Blake School Learning Works; the Mastery School; Jack and Jill of America, Inc., Minneapolis Chapter; WATCH; In Interest For Others; The Playwrights’ Center; Minnesota Minority Lawyers Association; The Fund for the Legal Aid Society and the Courage Center.
“I grew up going to YWCA in my hometown of San Bernardino, CA; my grandmother was a community health aide and volunteered there and my mother was on the board. YWCA shaped the values I hold today. It is an incredible honor to join YWCA Minneapolis in this leadership role and work in pursuit of its powerful mission alongside the extraordinary YWCA team,” said Shelley Carthen Watson.
“YWCA Minneapolis is thrilled to welcome Shelley as its president and CEO,” said Jeninne McGee, board chair of YWCA Minneapolis. “The ongoing crises of the pandemic and systemic racism magnified this last year have brought the organization to a sea change moment. We have a great opportunity to energize our work for racial justice, equity and creating brighter futures. Shelley is a talented and trusted leader, someone who will drive this work with passion, humility and integrity.”
Shelley Carthen Watson will begin transitioning to her new role August 9, 2021.
About YWCA Minneapolis
YWCA Minneapolis is a nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. For more than 130 years, we have worked to create opportunities to overcome social injustice, particularly in matters of race and gender. Last year, YWCA Minneapolis served more than 30,000 people in our community through high-quality programs and advocacy focused on racial justice, early learning, youth development and wellness. To learn more, visit ywcampls.org.
Contact:
Cori Mattli
YWCA Minneapolis
612-460-1125 or cmattli@ywcampls.org
