The Center for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR Center) at Waynesburg University welcomes Lee Ann Wainwright, thanks in part to a $100,000 grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation that will enable the CSR Center to have a greater impact in the region by studying and addressing more community challenges.
Wainwright, most recently with Chevron, will serve as an active member of Waynesburg University’s advancement team as the director of strategic partnerships.
“We are very grateful to the Benedum Foundation for supporting our vision with the Center for Corporate Social Responsibility and the potential for our members to make a positive impact in our region,” said Stacey Brodak, vice president for Institutional Advancement and University Relations. “Their support has enabled us to hire Lee Ann, who is superbly qualified to help take the Center to the next level and help us realize our ultimate vision.”
Waynesburg University has always upheld a commitment to community service as well as meeting the highest standards of teaching and research. The CSR Center exemplifies the University’s commitment to community by organizing this consortium of businesses."
Her responsibilities will include seeking opportunities to engage in partnerships that meet the University’s strategic plan; assisting with strategy and curriculum development for the CSR Center; and assisting with the solicitation of support for academic and University-wide proposals.
For the past eight years, Wainwright was involved with Chevron’s Appalachian Business Unit, most recently as corporate affairs advisor. In that role, she was responsible for managing the company’s community affairs in West Virginia, as well as the company’s STEM education and workforce development investments across Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.
She received the Women in Natural Gas Leadership (WING) Award and was honored as a 2018 “40 Under 40” class member, both sponsored by the Pittsburgh Business Times.
Active in the community, she currently serves as a member of the Remake Learning Council, the Carnegie Science Center’s STEM advisory board, the National Tooling and Machine Foundation and the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s STEM advisory board. Additionally, she is the co-chair of the Trig-State Energy and Advanced Manufacturing Consortium.
Wainwright earned her bachelor’s degree in advertising and public relations from Marietta College and a master’s degree in public relations from Kent State University.
In addition to funding additional staffing for the CSR Center, the Benedum Foundation grant will also provide support for future micro-courses for the Rural Learning Lab, a partnership between Waynesburg University and Carnegie Mellon University.
“Waynesburg University has always upheld a commitment to community service as well as meeting the highest standards of teaching and research,” said Dr. Jim Denova, vice president of the Bendeum Foundation. “The Center for Corporate Social Responsibility exemplifies the University’s commitment to community by organizing this consortium of businesses to respond collectively and strategically to the issues facing southwestern Pennsylvania. We are very excited about the future direction of the Center, and for the appointment of Lee Ann, with whom we have had a long and productive relationship during her tenure at Chevron.”
Recently, the CSR Center has engaged in a COVID-19 research project, examining the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on nonprofit organizations in Greene and Washington counties. Data from the project will be shared with the Center’s corporate members to aid them as they make strategic decisions in how to best support nonprofits moving forward.
The work of the Center is currently led by Brodak and Matthew Stultz, corporate relations and digital content manager. To learn more, visit waynesburg.edu/csr.
For more information, contact Stultz at csr@waynesburg.edu or 724-743-4422.
About the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
The Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation has served West Virginia and Southwestern Pennsylvania since it was established in 1944 by Michael and Sarah Benedum. Grants are made to support specific initiatives in the areas of Education, Economic Development, Health and Human Services, and Community Development.
About the Center for Corporate Social Responsibility
The Center for Corporate Social Responsibility at Waynesburg University launched in 2018 with a $250,000 commitment from Chevron. The Center seeks to build a network of practitioners in the region dedicated to sharing best practices in corporate social responsibility work. As a membership organization of nearly 20 regional and national corporations, the Center represents a variety of industries, including banking, construction, energy, law, manufacturing and technology. The Center operates from the Waynesburg University Southpointe Center.
