SHRM Foundation Announces New Members of Its Board

ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Today, SHRM Foundation announced the appointment of two new members to its board of directors. Their tenure, which started Jan. 1[MJ1] , consists of a three-year term and assists SHRM Foundation’s mission to mobilize HR as a force for social change.  

Mark Blankenship, Ph.D., is the former executive vice president and chief of staff and strategy at Jack in the Box Inc. A highly accomplished, versatile executive, he has over 30 years of experience spanning the quick-service restaurant, technology, consulting and research business sectors. As chief of staff and strategy at Jack in the Box, Blankenship oversaw corporate strategy and CEO staff/organization alignment on corporate initiatives.

John Ferguson is the chief human resources officer of NASCAR. In this role, he oversees NASCAR’s human resources. Ferguson provides strategic leadership for talent acquisition, employee engagement and culture development to support and engage employees across more than 20 office and racetrack locations in the U.S. He is also responsible for building a company culture at NASCAR that is empowering, innovative, diverse, inclusive and collaborative.

“We are delighted to have Mark and John join our Foundation board of directors,” said Wendi Safstrom, president of SHRM Foundation. “Their breadth and depth of experience will serve us well as we continue our work in 2024 to continue SHRM Foundation’s mission of mobilizing HR for social change.” 

Continuing board members include: 

• Edie Goldberg, Ph.D., president, E. L. Goldberg and Associates (board chair)
• Camille Chang Gilmore, VP of HR and global chief diversity officer, Boston Scientific (chair-elect)
• Karen Bennett, executive VP and chief people officer, Cox Enterprises (secretary/treasurer)
• Subha V. Barry, CEO, Seramount (now part of EAB)
• Greg Flores, founder and owner, Sculpted Leaders LLC
• Luciana Gómez, principal owner, Luciana Gómez Marketing Consulting
• Tracy Layney, senior VP and CHRO, Levi Strauss & Co.
• Jane Marvin, principal, org effectiveness and change management
• Courtney A. Peterson, SHRM-SCP, Professional Certified Coach (PCC), VP, chief diversity officer and CHRO, Edison Electric Institute
• Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, president and chief executive officer, SHRM

About the SHRM Foundation

The SHRM Foundation is the 501(c)(3) philanthropic arm of the world’s largest HR professional society, SHRM. SHRM represents nearly 325,000 HR professionals across the globe, impacting more than 235 million workers and their families. The SHRM Foundation elevates and empowers HR professionals as a force for social good so that all talent workplaces can prosper and thrive. It is committed to addressing the health, economic and social disruptions impacting work, workers and the workplace to build a world of work that works for all. Learn more at shrm.org/foundation.