Breaking through
New Memphis Institute hosting program showcasing women leaders
Naomi Earp recognized the imbalance almost immediately.
After joining Memphis Mayor A C Wharton’s executive team earlier this year as the new executive director of the Workforce Investment Network, Earp found herself in a meeting with city government power brokers and noticed that most of those present had one thing in common: Gender.
“I looked around and realized that I was one of only three women on the executive team and I wondered why there aren’t more women in top leadership roles,” Earp said. “As progressive as Memphis is, and I do think that there are some incredibly progressive aspects to this city, there are still not enough women leaders here.”
But Earp and a coalition of top women executives are working to shift that balance.
As part of the New Memphis Institute’s “Celebrate What’s Right” series at noon on Tuesday, Earp and several female leaders will discuss their experiences bumping up against and breaking through the glass ceiling in Memphis and what needs to happen to ensure greater gender diversity at the executive level. And while they acknowledge that there is no quick fix, the women hope their efforts and those of other local female leaders will open new doors for their younger counterparts.
“We have many, many women in entry-to-midlevel leadership positions, but we need to see more women heading up foundations and companies,” Earp said. “For myself and my colleagues, as women, we need to seek out women who want to be part of the next generation of leaders and help them achieve that.” Panelist Meg Crosby agreed. “I’ve lived in New York and in Los Angeles and I feel Memphis is behind in its number of female leaders and that’s not going to change unless we make it happen,” Crosby said. “Current women leaders have to be more than role models, we have to actively mentor and reach back to help younger women. That’s easier to do in a smaller community like Memphis because the degrees of separation are fewer and it’s easier to connect with top level executives than it is in some larger cities.”
Empowering female leaders and encouraging others to follow in their footsteps is a key component to the program, said Nancy Coffee, CEO and president of New Memphis Institute. And recognizing the accomplishments of some of the area’s most established females execu-
tives is a step in the right direction.
“What you pay attention to grows. We want to create an environment in this city where women thrive in many roles,” Coffee said. “There are many positive things about Memphis and emerging women leaders are making great contributions. We just want to make sure that many more will follow.”
Laurie Tucker has noticed many positive changes in her 35-yearcareer at FedEx, noting that women leaders were once in much shorter supply, but their ranks are steadily increasing. And she expects that momentum to continue.
“The ground has already been plowed and the pathways have been paved, now it’s up to younger women to get on that road and drive their careers forward,” Tucker said. “Women have to realize that their careers are only limited by their view of what they can do. It’s up to them to determine that view.”
Tuesday’s program will feature a panel discussion between five women executives and moderated by Susan Springfield, vice president and chief credit officer of Memphis-based First Horizon National Corp. Panelists are Earp, Crosby and Tucker, along with Marilynn Robinson and Leigh Shockey.
PANELIST BIOS
Meg Crosby is a founding partner of PeopleCap Advisors, a con- sulting firm working with corporations and nonprofits that launched last year. She started her career at Credit Suisse First Boston in New York before moving to the West Coast to join tech startup Applied Semantics as director of human resources. The firm was later acquired by Google and Crosby led the HR team and its mergers and acquisition integration team. She left Google in 2008 and moved to Memphis where she, her husband and a business partner opened Irish pub The Brass Door.
Naomi Earp is executive director of WIN, which receives its funding from the U.S. Department of Labor. She began her professional life as a federal employee with the Chicago regional office of the Economic Development Administration, and later worked for the federal government’s senior executive service in Washington, D.C., for 25 years. She was nominated by President George W. Bush to serve as chairwoman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Earp retired from the federal government in 2011 before moving to Memphis.
Marilynn Robinson is vice president at Saint Francis Hospital, where she oversees communications and marketing, Leigh Shockey continuing education, customer service, government affairs and volunteers. Originally from New York, she has spent much of her career in hospital administration. Robinson is also an ordained minister and serves as co-pastor with her husband at St. Andrew AME Church.
Leigh Shockey is CEO of Drexel Chemical, a manufacturer of agricultural chemicals. She joined the company in 1980 as director of international sales and later served as manager of international operations before becoming the company’s top executive in 1998. A native Memphian, Shockey is also co-founder of Veritable Music, a song publishing company, and she is a former chairwoman of the Memphis in May International Festival.
Laurie A. Tucker is vice president of corporate marketing at FedEx, where she directs customer marketing, FedEx Office marketing, global brand management and engagement. Under Tucker’s guidance, FedEx implemented a digital strategy that provides customer access to more than 220 economic markets worldwide. A lifelong Memphian, Tucker joined the company in 1978 and previously worked in the customer service, finance and IT departments.