The Cobb Chambers‘ Cobb Executive Women named Shari Martin, President & CEO of the Cobb Community Foundation, this year’s recipient of the Woman of Distinction Award.

The Cobb Chamber issued the following press release with details of the award:

ATLANTA (June 13, 2022) — Today, the Cobb Chamber’s Cobb Executive Women (CEW) program named the winner of the 2022 Woman of Distinction Award at the Chamber’s June Marquee Monday event: Shari Martin, President & CEO of the Cobb Community Foundation.

The Woman of Distinction award is given annually to recognize a woman who has demonstrated exceptional leadership through her professional endeavors, community involvement and social responsibility in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion thereby supporting and advancing her community and her field.

After five years on its Board of Directors including one as Board Chair, Shari Martin stepped into the role of Executive Director of the Cobb Community Foundation (CCF) in 2017 and was named President and Chief Executive Officer in 2019.

In 2019, she championed and commissioned the Cobb Human Services Needs Assessment which resulted in launching the online resource, Cobb Community Connection. In 2020, Cobb non-profits were hit hard by the pandemic as the need for their services grew exponentially. Martin served on the Cobb Chamber’s economic recovery taskforce to support local non-profits and meet the greatest needs in the community. She established a Cobb COVID-19 Community Response Fund to serve client’s impacted by the pandemic and also helped create Operation Meal Plan, which brought together restaurants and non-profits to feed the community and keep restaurants open.

Martin brought together several corporate partners and numerous Cobb County non-profits to ensure that the USDA Farmers to Families food would help Cobb citizens in need. Shari identified organizations such as the Atlanta Braves to help with food storage until local non-profits could come pick up what they needed to distribute throughout the county.

Martin has worked for many years behind the scenes for the betterment of our community and she inspires so many others to do the same. She is a proud member of Leadership Cobb Class of 2017 and part of the inaugural class of the Philantrophic Advisor Institute.

She is also a member of Marietta Kiwanis, Cobb Executive Women, the Cobb Chamber’s DE&I Council, among many other organziaitons. She recently received the Cobb Collaborative’s 2021 Bill Hanson Collaboration Award and Chairwoman Lisa Cupid’s 2022 All In award for her constant dedication to our community.

“The love, care and service that Shari Martin gives to the Cobb County community is immeasurable and unending, “ said Secret Holland, Cobb Executive Women 2022 Chairwoman. “Her collaboration with businesses, organizations and non-profits makes a difference in the lives in our community every day. I am honored to work with her and call her my friend.”

Cobb Executive Women is proudly supported by Yearlong Presenting Sponsor, Northside Hospital. Thank you to Award Sponsor, S.A. White Oil Company. For more information about Cobb Executive Women or the Woman of Distinction Award, contact Rebecca Chadwick at rchadwick@cobbchamber.org or 770-859-2368.

About the Cobb Chamber

The Cobb Chamber, incorporated with the state as the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce, is the largest business organization in the county.

The President and CEO of the Cobb Chamber is Sharon Mason, the Chief Operating Officer is Dana Johnson, and the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors is Britt Fleck.

Projects of the Cobb Chamber include Cobb Executive Women, Cobb Young Professionals, and the Area Councils: Cumberland, East Cobb, Marietta, Northwest Cobb (Acworth, Kennesaw, West Cobb), Smyrna and South Cobb.

On its website the Cobb Chamber promotes itself as follows:

As one of the most influential business advocacy organizations in Georgia and one of the top three chambers in the nation, the Cobb Chamber is dedicated to bringing the community and its leaders together to create jobs and strengthen the economy and quality of life so businesses and the community can achieve more.

Who We Are: We are a community of businesses working together to advance a vibrant economy.

Why We Do It: When businesses thrive, communities flourish.

What We Do (Our Mission): Together, with diverse partnerships, we:

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• Attract, recruit and retain jobs.
     
• Help companies start, grow and     prosper.
     
• Advocate and collaborate to     enhance our state’s business climate.
     
• Connect members to opportunities,     new networks, and resources.
     
• Develop workforce and support     education.
     
• Cultivate current and future leaders.