NRF Names Davis to Foundation Post

The National Retail Federation has appointed Ellen Davis as its senior vice president and executive director of the NRF Foundation, the education and research arm of NRF.

In this role, Davis help restructure the NRF Foundation to more closely align with NRF’s strategic plan, taking the organization’s multimillion-dollar Retail Means Jobs campaign to the next level by emphasizing retail’s contributions to the economy and the diverse career opportunities available within the industry. She will also oversee a team managing NRF research projects, professional retail certification and training programs, initiatives to develop the next generation of retail leaders, and university partnerships. Additionally, Davis will continue to serve as a chief spokesperson for NRF on retail industry trends.

“With her deep understanding of retail and consumer trends, her love of our industry, and her strategic communications background, Ellen is the perfect candidate to re-imagine the possibilities for our Foundation, bringing it more in line with the larger objectives of our organization,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “The decision to create a new vision for the NRF Foundation follows a year of significant financial investments by NRF to increase the power of our government relations and communications activities. Combined, these three priorities will ultimately provide NRF with a more robust, comprehensive platform to advocate on behalf of retailers.”

Davis joined NRF in 2002 as manager of media relations, continuing in positions of greater responsibility until being named vice president in 2008. During her tenure, she has led the team responsible for NRF consumer research and industry trends as well as NRF communication vehicles, including social media, NRF SmartBrief and Retail’s BIG Blog.

After coining the phrase “Cyber Monday,” which is now considered by the media, consumers and retailers as the official kickoff of the online holiday shopping season, Davis was named one of “15 to watch” by PR Week magazine, a prominent trade publication for communications professionals.

NRF represents retailers of all types and sizes, including chain restaurants and industry partners, from the United States and more than 45 countries abroad.