Desiree Coleman says she grew up between two worlds: Her home was in the urban core, in Tower Grove East, but she attended school in Kirkwood.
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Desiree Coleman says she grew up between two worlds: Her home was in the urban core, in Tower Grove East, but she attended school in Kirkwood.
Her experiences there — in a “resource-filled educational environment” — made Coleman “aware of the world,” she said.
Of particular interest was a Spanish class that began in the sixth grade. “I would read the Spanish dictionary, and I liked learning about other cultures,” she said. It led Coleman to pursue a degree in international relations at the University of Missouri - Columbia.
But an internship during Coleman’s junior year with baking company EarthGrains changed her trajectory. It was in corporate social responsibility.
“I knew I wanted to help people and focus on building communities,” Coleman said.
A job in corporate responsibility didn’t happen right away. Coleman made stops at Syracuse University, where she received her master of public administration, and as a fellow was responsible for implementing a $3 million federal grant to create programs for youths in the juvenile justice system in Washington, D.C.
After the birth of her first daughter, Coleman came back to St. Louis and began working at the United Way. She oversaw an increase in major gifts of 6 percent in the women’s leadership group in 2012, and also saw volunteer participation spike 10 percent.
United Way of Greater St. Louis President and CEO Orvin Kimbrough said Coleman also boosted giving among African-Americans. “We launched a strategy to have them not just give $1,000, but $10,000,” and St. Louis became No. 1 among United Way organizations for African-Americans giving $10,000, he said.
“One of the things you find when you first meet Desiree is her infectious energy,” Kimbrough said. “It’s incredible, and when you look at her career, it speaks volumes.”
Now, as vice president of community relations at Wells Fargo Advisors, a position she took in 2013, Coleman gets to do the job she fell in love with at EarthGrains. In addition to forging partnerships with nonprofits across the region, Coleman manages Wells Fargo Advisors’ $5.2 million annual charitable budget.
She launched the Focus on College Program, which is now in its fourth year and matches parents’ contributions to a college savings program up to $250 over eight months. The program has engaged 250 families, who’ve saved $140,000, Coleman said.
And Wells Fargo Advisors is now focusing more on diversity and inclusion, through a $1 million program in partnership with the Regional Arts Commission. Coleman designed it. The program will expose up to 2,000 middle school students to engaging arts programs and facilitated dialogues that will challenge them to embrace diversity and inclusion.
Coleman, her husband, Shane, and two children live in the city. She’s a board member for the Wyman Center and the Gateway Center for Giving.