Maren McGrane stands with employees from Sonic Automotive and EchoPark Automotive during a Cheeriodicals CSR event in Birmingham, AL.
Highlight on Women in CSR Leadership Positions
By Mary Martha Parisher
Founder and COO, Cheeriodicals
In honor of International Women’s Day, Cheeriodicals is proud to highlight four remarkable women who spearhead corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives for our corporate team-building clients. These women have not only led their teams but have also personally participated in Cheeriodicals events, embodying the values of compassion and community engagement.
Their dedication and commitment serve as an inspiration to others, especially women, who are passionate about corporate social responsibility. We are immensely grateful for their leadership and the positive impact they have made, not only within their organizations but also in the broader community. These women are shining examples of the transformative power of purpose-driven leadership, and we celebrate their contributions on this special occasion of International Women’s Day.
Over the past decade, Cheeriodicals has hosted 39 philanthropic corporate team-building events in collaboration with Pfizer, a significant number of which were orchestrated by Dezarie Mayers. With 32 years devoted to enhancing the reach of Pfizer’s community engagement program, Dezarie, as the Director of Colleague Community Engagement Programs, strives to foster opportunities and motivation for Pfizer employees to engage in impactful community service. These efforts positively impact more than 10,000 non-profit organizations across the US on an annual basis. Among Dezarie’s many accomplishments, she is the recipient of the W.E. Upjohn Award for Innovation for the development of an employee giving portal which introduced online giving to the Pfizer community.
“It is both a pleasure and honor to lead Pfizer’s community engagement work and to support colleagues giving of time and money back to communities where they live and work. I am especially excited to be partnering with Cheeriodicals as we celebrate Pfizer’s 175th anniversary.” – Dezarie
While researching Dezarie’s many accomplishments, we learned that Dezarie is a military veteran with eight years of service in the United States Army Reserves, including a six-month deployment in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm and Desert Shield. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Dezarie for the sacrifices she made to ensure our nation’s safety.
Through Cheeriodicals CSR team building events held and already scheduled for 2024, Pfizer teams have delivered smiles to more than 8,600 recipients across the US, Canada and around the world. We can not wait to work with Pfizer this summer to celebrate their 175th anniversary!
In her role as Vice President of Culture and Strategic Initiatives at Sonic Automotive, Inc., Maren McGrane spearheads a range of initiatives aimed at fostering engagement and connection among the company’s employees, aligning them with the company’s strategic objectives and community engagement activities. Since assuming this position in 2018, Maren has overseen various engagement initiatives, resulting in Sonic Automotive teammates (i.e., employees) supporting organizations that serve the needs of children and veterans in their communities. Moreover, Maren’s leadership has contributed to the establishment of the company’s Women’s Leadership Program, empowering and inspiring teammates to grow in their careers and pursue leadership roles within the organization.
“I’m honored to serve our company and teammates in this role. We enjoy being generous with our time and talent to support wonderful organizations in our communities. It’s personally fulfilling to have the opportunity to participate in community service activities and work with our team to develop and launch programs to support the career growth and development of our teammates.” – Maren McGrane
Cheeriodicals has worked with Sonic Automotive each of the last three years and has another project in development currently for 2024. Last year, the Sonic Automotive team requested a new Cheeriodical backpack option to benefit students in under-resourced elementary schools in 37 school systems nationwide. This year, the team will be packing another new Cheeriodical option, this time to provide pet adoption kits for people adopting dogs in more than 140 humane shelters nationwide. In total, this amazing team will have packed and donated nearly 7,000 Cheeriodicals in the last four years.
For the past 13 years, Monica Garrett has served as the Director of Community Relations, spearheading the strategic direction and implementation of LexisNexis Risk Solutions’ corporate philanthropy and employee volunteer initiatives. Her role extends beyond internal programs as she actively fosters relationships with key community stakeholders, amplifying LexisNexis Risk Solutions’ dedication to enriching the global communities where their customers and employees reside.
Monica’s leadership has been instrumental in the development of the LexisNexis Risk Solutions Cares Program, which grants each employee two days annually to participate in volunteer endeavors. In 2023, Monica’s stewardship was evident as over 6,000 employees enthusiastically contributed to various volunteering and fundraising activities, ranging from beach cleanups to a 14-mile sponsored walk, all in support of impactful non-profit organizations within their local communities.
“CSR is my passion and my profession. I am fortunate to work with great people and to have the support of leaders who see the value in giving back to our communities. My objective is to effectively use company resources to fill gaps in our communities. This role is about finding great synergy between community and company resources and inspiring people to create positive change.” – Monica Garrett
Cheeriodicals has partnered with LexisNexis Risk Solutions four times dating back to 2014, benefiting hospitalized children and Veterans in both Georgia and Florida. Notably, LexisNexis Risk Solutions made the very first Cheeriodicals delivery to the VA Atlanta Health Care System!
As Senior Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion at Diversified Maintenance, Ciara Lilly is responsible for creating and executing the company’s national diversity and inclusion and supplier diversity strategy, which includes a focus on diversity recruitment, employee development, inclusive procurement, corporate social responsibility, and transparent performance reporting. Under Ciara’s leadership, Diversified Maintenance has spent over $50 million with small and diverse businesses, established a Corporate Diversity and Inclusion training program, and created over $20 million in new business growth. As part of the diversity and inclusion program, Ciara creates operational initiatives focused on philanthropy and community enrichment to make a positive social impact.
“At Diversified Maintenance, we champion corporate social responsibility as a vital pillar of our diversity and inclusion program. We believe that together, we can make a meaningful difference in the world by driving positive change. My hope is that we are setting an example of what’s possible, not only for other companies but also for other women leaders who share our passion for contributing positively to society while pursuing superior business results.” – Ciara Lilly
While conducting research for this spotlight piece, we learned that in addition to all of her other corporate and personal endeavors, Ciara is pursuing her Master of Divinity at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School!
Cheeriodicals’ first event with Diversified Maintenance was in 2024 in Birmingham, Alabama. This was a particularly special event for us because it was the first event in Birmingham where a Cheeriodicals event had benefited both a children’s hospital and Veterans hospital in the same event. The Diversified Maintenance team delivered 100 Cheeriodicals to Children’s of Alabama’s CHIPS program (an outpatient clinic where children who have experienced suspected abuse, and their families impacted by suspected abuse, can come for support, hope and healing) and 100 Cheeriodicals to the VA Birmingham Health Care System.
Cheeriodicals is honored to have the opportunity to partner with so many talented women in CSR leadership roles, who are continuously inspiring others to walk in their footsteps and readily making a meaningful difference in local communities across the country. Happy International Women’s Day!
Curious About Cheeriodicals?
Cheeriodicals conducts CSR-focused, corporate team building events for teams of 20 – 1,500+ attendees across the United States and Canada. Contact corporateplanner@cheeriodicals.com to see how we can help your corporate team make a difference for those in need of a lift in spirits near you!
To book an event: Cheeriodicals Event Availability