Meet Cheryl Kortemeier: Executive Director, Corporate Volunteer Council of Atlanta

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cheryl Kortemeier and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cheryl, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I am originally from Augusta, Georgia just two hours east of Atlanta. My mom was a high-school science teacher, and my dad was an engineer and administrator in the business school of our local college. They taught my sister and me early on that we should always treat people, animals and nature with respect. Our lives were filled with volunteering, science and plenty of time outdoors. They also taught me that I should always listen to my gut first and brain second when making decisions. The reasoning behind this was that your brain only makes logical decisions, but sometimes decision making is not only based on logic but also on feelings and desired goals. When I left for college, I wanted to do something different than what my parents had done. So, I studied Marketing and Business Management. After several positions in corporate marketing, event planning and communications, I found my passion in nonprofit administration. Now that I am professionally fulfilled through my job as Executive Director of the Corporate Volunteer Council of Atlanta (CVC), I find that I am drawn back to volunteering, science and nature. I recently joined the board of directors for ScienceATL, have been involved with EarthShare Georgia for a number of years and do lots of hiking and camping in my down time. I also enjoy spending time with my family (husband, two boys and a black-mouth cur named “Trout”) outdoors just as my parents did with me.   

What should our readers know about your business?
I am honored to lead the Corporate Volunteer Council of Atlanta, known to many as the CVC. The CVC is a nonprofit organization that supports member companies to deliver business results through their strategic commitment to civic engagement and social impact. We do this through monthly education and professional development programs focused on corporate volunteering, inclusion and equity, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate citizenship. In other words, we help the people at companies who are community-facing do their jobs better. The CVC was founded in 1992 to support volunteerism as a business strategy. We know that companies must support the communities where they do business in order to build customer and brand loyalty, attract and retain employees and to be seen as leaders in their field or industry. The CVC helps companies prioritize their community engagement and learn best practices for social impact. I joined the CVC after working with local conservation nonprofit, Trees Atlanta, for several years as well as with companies including Equifax, Chupa Chups (a Spanish candy company) and Boron LePore. The CVC position was especially appealing to me, because I saw it as a terrific way to blend my corporate and nonprofit experience. I have worked hard and have taken on lots of different roles over the years in order to build my skills, experience and relationships. This hard work has allowed me to feel confident in jumping into my role at CVC with creativity and confidence. My career path has not always been easy. I took a significant pay cut when I originally transitioned from the corporate sector to work with nonprofits. However, after working hard and deliberately growing my skill sets over the years, I’ve learned that working for nonprofits can not only help support my lifestyle but also support me in fulfilling my purpose as an employee and person. Following my purpose helps me to be motivated about my work and energizes me to continually strive to be better and to lend a hand to others whenever I can. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned along the way is to make time for others. I spend a lot of time speaking with professionals who are interested in getting into community relations, corporate social responsibility and similar positions. It is important to me to inspire and connect in this way, because so many professionals have done (and continue to do) this for me along my career journey. And I am often surprised by how much I learn and how inspired I feel after speaking with others. When I think about my brand and story, I want my legacy to be one of conscious inclusion and leaving things better than I found them. Knowing and embracing people who are different from me in appearance, life experiences, beliefs, etc. is something I am passionate about every day. I love to be a student and believe that I have something to learn from everyone I meet. I also believe that I must use my voice to stand up for what is right and just no matter what. As I get older, I get bolder and more passionate about speaking out. I want my story to be “Cheryl was a true friend and champion for others, and she cared about people and the world around her.”

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There are so many places I would love to take my best friend. Here are a few of my favorites: Grab coffee/pastries at Proof Bakery in Inman Park, Go for a run on the Atlanta BeltLine – both east and west side, Relax at Jeju Sauna, Enjoy either a Vietnamese or Korean meal on Buford Highway, Tour the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site, the Center for Civil and Human Rights and Atlanta History Center, Grab dinner and drinks in Decatur and walk around the Decatur Square, Take a hike along the Chattahoochee River, Visit Arabia Mountain for a hike, Walk around Oakland Cemetary, Walk around an in-town neighborhood following one of Trees Atlanta’s neighborhood arboretum maps, Lunch at Busy Bee, Walk around Piedmont Park, Visit DeKalb Farmers Market, Check out a movie at Plaza Theater, Catch a play in a local living room with Out of Hand Theater .

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to dedicate my shout out to my former boss, Marcia Bansley. Marcia founded and led local nonprofit, Trees Atlanta, for close to 30 years. Marcia taught me that women deserve to achieve everything they set out to do and explained that we should always reach just above what we think we are capable of doing. When we worked together, Marcia encouraged me to focus on relationships first and details second. If you are able to pull together the right team, you can do anything. Marcia taught me how to weave the things I love into meaningful work. For me, that is relationships with people and connection with nature. She always asked me and many others she mentored one important question, “What makes your heart sing?” She noted that until you find that song, it is difficult to pursue your passion and find joy in your work. The other gift that Marcia has given me in my career and personal life is to remind me that humor makes everything more interesting. You can work hard and pull off amazing projects with high-impact results, but it is a lot more fun if you share laughs with others along the way. Laughter keeps us connected and positive, so that we can push through the hardest moments in life.

Website: www.cvcofatlanta.org
Instagram: @cvcatlanta
Linkedin: @cherylkortemeier
Twitter: @CKort, @cvcofatlanta
Facebook: @CKortemeier, @CVCofAtlanta