Heather Geronemus, Director, Public Relations & Corporate Social Responsibility, Ultimate Software and Chair, MADD National Board of Directors
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Transcript
This is a transcript from The Floridaville podcast. This transcript was created using artificial intelligence so it may not be an accurate account of what was recorded.
Rosanna Catalano 0:04
This is the Floridaville. Get to know the people behind the Florida names you know. I'm your host Rosanna Catalano.
On this episode we get to know Heather Geronemus. She's a public relations expert for a technology firm in South Florida that has made the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work for list nine years in a row. Heather also works tirelessly for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). She's currently serving as the chair of the 10th annual Walk Like MADD and MADD Dash Fort Lauderdale. We are recording today's episode remotely. I'm in my home in Tallahassee, Florida. And Heather joins us remotely from her home in Fort Lauderdale. Welcome to the show.
Heather Geronemus 0:46
Thank you so much. So excited to be here with you.
Rosanna Catalano 0:49
You are the Director of Public Relations and corporate social responsibility for ultimate software. Tell us what that entails. a lot of hours. Okay.
Heather Geronemus 0:59
A lot of hours. Okay. I really I get the pleasure of representing the most amazing company. So Ultimate has been here in South Florida for 30 years, we were founded by an amazing man named Scott Scherr, who founded the company on the basis of taking care of employees, which is not the way most companies start. Most companies start with figuring out how to make a profit. And Scott started the company with the industry in mind. So we're in the HR and payroll software industry. But he really decided from the beginning that the employee, the company was there to take care of the employees, and then the employees that are in charge of taking care of the product and making sure that the company is profitable. And then the community piece is really amazing, because from the very, very beginning, we gave to our community, and I've lived in this community for a long time, back and forth between here in New York, but I've been I've been part of it forever, really. And I myself am very philanthropic, outside of Ultimate, but I'd never imagined I'd work for a company that matched my commitment to the community. And you know, we started out with, before we were even making a profit, we were giving a percentage of our revenue to the community. And to this day, we give the same percentage, but obviously, we are much more successful 30 years later. So we're able to serve this community, you know, our country. And really, we respond to crisis all over the world. So I get to know a lot of really amazing nonprofit professionals, a lot of great organizations. We're expanding those organizations every day as we deal with different things in our, you know, in the world like Coronavirus, and the racial justice issues that we're going through. So I get to learn along with everyone really about these issues and what what the best organizations are to tackle them, and then we get to partner with them and make financial contributions that also get engage our employees and enhance on volunteer opportunities. When we can do that. Right now. We're all at home. So we're doing a lot of virtual volunteering, but really, that's the short answer. I think that was short.
Rosanna Catalano 2:53
So you've been at ultimate software for about a decade now. Tell us where you started within the company. And how did you get the job?
Heather Geronemus 3:02
So actually, I talked about Scott Scherr, our CEO. I met him at a social event and immediately just knew he was, he was the kindest, actually quietest person I've ever met. When someone said he was the CEO of Ultimate software, I didn't have a real frame of reference because I wasn't in the HR industry. And I just thought he was the most engaging and kind person. So I got to know him and his family. And, you know, one day, we really bonded over my love of the community and his passion for the community. And one day, he said, they wanted me to come work for Ultimate. And I started in a marketing role attached to a sales team in the northeast. I really had designs on going back up there and still, you know, I might still leave. Who knows! But I have the best of both worlds on a normal, in a normal time. I'm back and forth to New York as much as I possibly can be. And I get to live here and be a part of this amazing community with this amazing company. But yeah, I kind of took myself on a marketing development program of my own. It's something that we do now people can experience all aspects of our marketing department but there we didn't have it, normalize them. But I got to experience a lot of different opportunities and marketing more inside sales team, our events team and I came to the public relations team more than halfway through about about five years ago and started to build this really incredible team of professionals that I get to lead that helped get our message out, tell our customer stories, and then of course, lead our philanthropic effort. So it's a really big honor to do that.
Rosanna Catalano 4:26
What got you interested in public relations?
Heather Geronemus 4:28
So my degree is in marketing, and in a sense, I've always been in some sort of PR. When I was in high school, I was always leading a group of people using my voice to get you know, to coalesce people around a cause or something that was that was important to me been a lifelong volunteer not just recently as your reference with Matt. So I've always kind of been I've always leaned to that actually came to it kind of backwards and that I was I built walk like mad mad dash Fort Lauderdale. Which you said is in its 10th year also, I built it with, you know, by using PR by using social media. We didn't have any money we weren't we hadn't raised any money in Broward County. It was the first fundraiser in Broward County for Mothers Against Drunk Driving. So I built it using PR. So I had no idea that I knew how to pitch media stories until I actually had to call NBC-6 and try to get on their air to get people to come to a walk. So I kind of came to what I do for my profession, by my volunteer life.
Rosanna Catalano 5:30
That is an amazing story. So we're going to take a real quick commercial break here, and we'll come back and ask you more great.
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Rosanna Catalano 6:01
Heather, I know you're very involved with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) in South Florida and also nationally. Can you describe your involvement with MADD for us?
Heather Geronemus 6:12
Absolutely. So as you mentioned, I'm involved both locally and nationally. I founded an event here in South Florida. And the reason that I did that is because I lost my father to a drunk driver in 2009. He was crossing the street on foot after leaving, giving a speech at a medical conference dinner with some of his colleagues and down in Brickell, so, you know, everyone knows like, you know, that area on a Saturday night walking across the street. And he was struck and killed by a drunk driver, that little red light and never even stopped. And, you know, then that person was apprehended. But you know, that night my life changed forever. I wasn't a person I was old enough that I wasn't going home to where my dad was. So it wasn't something that immediately resonated with me. It was kind of surreal for a long time, but when it did hit me, you know that my dad was gone and that I was going through this very traumatic loss that, you know, with no, there's no there's no right way to lose a person, but there's certainly a different set of circumstances when someone is killed. And then you also all of a sudden become a victim of a crime. And one of the main things that Mothers Against Drunk Driving does is support victims. We support victims 24 hours a day, seven days a week through our hotline, through Facebook, a Facebook closed-victim-group, and then through in-person support. And I had a series of voicemails on my phone from a woman who reached out to me from MADD who was a victim advocate and when I finally kind of reconciled with the fact that I was a victim, I was a victim of something and that I needed the help. I found that voicemail on my cell phone and I called this woman Nancy, and I talked to her for over an hour. And I can still remember what car I was driving and where I was in the parking lot where I pulled into to have that conversation. And it just really stayed with me that if I had only had that call with her. And I never called back just gotten the resources and she sent me the stuff that I needed the very tactical things that I needed that that would have been okay. This woman who was a complete stranger called me and supported me, it turned out that I really, I've leaned on her a lot more than that, you know, for an entire year going through the process of you know, the trial for the person that killed my father and seeing that person sentenced and being, you know, six feet away from him, not things that people most normal people are equipped for. So I was really, really lucky to have Nancy and stay in there and really hold my hand while I gave a victim statement in front of a court with full of media because my father was relatively well known so that the case was cut very public. And even if that had been the end, if that had been the last time that I that I dealt with mad that would have been okay, that's what we do is for people when they need it the most, but I kind of took a look at the landscape after that happened, but the person was sentenced before the holidays. So you know, it's been holidays. with their family and now our family is a lot different. And after kind of like all of that resonated you know, I looked around and I thought, like, why aren't we doing anything to prevent this on the front end? I go to hundreds of charity events a year very, very lucky to do that. But it was why wasn't there a charity event for mad? Why weren't we talking about it? Where was the conversation because I grew up in this area and the conversation was happening when I learned to drive I knew that drinking and driving wasn't okay, but that wasn't the conversation that was happening about a decade ago. So I I you know, joined forces with Matt on the front end trying to create a lot of noise and create a big event and raise money so that we could we could talk about ending drunk driving before trash papers. I didn't want other people to have to be in my position. So that's really how I was like meta meta Fort Lauderdale got started about a year after the death of my father and you know, it turned out to be our it is still one of the largest and the fastest growing fundraisers for Mothers Against Drunk Driving in the country. So we really made a lot of money. progress. And it's not just the money. I mean, the money is certainly important, particularly now for nonprofit but bringing together children and families and police officers and elected officials and corporations that day, but all year round and having this discussion and raising the issue and changing people's perspectives even even if you just you know, you're a person that goes out to dinner and thinks it's okay to drink with dinner, and to some extent it is I'm not a prohibitionist by any means, but just have making you know, second guessing yourself. Instead making a plan when your plans include alcohol, just always making sure that they include a safe way home instead of taking chances. I can't tell you how many people just in interactions like this, but like also just by taking the stage that day or going on the air, radio or TV tell me that they made safer decisions because of hearing a speech or going to the event or participating in it. And then we have kids that participated. I have an eight year old in my life, not my eight year old I have an eight year old in my life is participant In every walk like man that since she's been alive, so I know that in her school when it comes time for her to drive, she will absolutely be a leader and say, you know, that's not okay. You can't do that to her, you know, when her peers are about to make that decision. So it's really, it's been a movement and I was lucky enough to be to be elected to the National Board of Directors of mad. So there are 16 of us that lead the organization nationally, and these crazy people actually elected me their care this year's.
Rosanna Catalano 11:29
Congratulations.
Heather Geronemus 11:31
Thank you. Thank you. So I get to, you know, at the highest level, work on the the strategy of the organization and work with the CEO, to we've gotten in 40 years, which MADD is 40 years old. In 40 years, we got to a very good number, we're down. You know, we cut drunk driving deaths in half but you know, we still lose 11,000 people in this country every year and 300,000 people are injured. So it's not enough like we're not done yet. So that's when we kind of have to I get the pleasure leading the organization. And figuring out how we're going to close that gap because the 10,000 to 11,000 number has been the same for the last decade.
Rosanna Catalano 12:06
The work you do is incredibly important, you know, this is 100% preventable. I used to prosecute actually down there in Fort Lauderdale DUIs when I first started my legal career, so it's absolutely something that's 100% preventable. So I'm glad to see that you're doing this work. Did you have experience in fundraising before you got involved with MADD?
Heather Geronemus 12:28
Ironically, no, I never asked anybody for money other than like, you know, Jump Rope for Heart when I was in school or a 5K or you know, a walk event. I've been a volunteer since I can remember. My mother was an avid volunteer. She actually not involved your race as her as her job. She wrote the grants for the first treatment center for the multiple national Multiple Sclerosis Society in the country. So I grew up watching her serve on boards and committees. Some of my earliest memories are volunteering, but I never, I never raised money. I never, you know, set out to put on an event that raises over a quarter million dollars, which is what our event has grown to here in South Florida or you know, got to I never thought that I would go to travel around the country to sit with the CEO of MADD and talk to the NFL and Uber, different organizations about like really large-scale contracts, which is a little bit different than asking your parents to give you money. So but I think that in anything that anyone you know, anyone that's listening, like when you're passionate about something, and and you understand what the different the actual difference that you can make lay it you turn out to have no fear about asking for money, like I when I were when they asked me to be the chair of this event, I thought I kind of said, I can't do that. Like how could How could I do that? How am I gonna raise all that money? And then I just kind of, you know, made a list of people I could ask and just started asking and really, I've gotten a few notes over the years, but not that many.
Rosanna Catalano 13:53
That's incredible. Share with us, what your dad was like? What's your favorite memory with him?
Heather Geronemus 13:59
So my Dad was a physician here in Broward. And he and well, you know, my parents were divorced. So I did get a lot of one on one time with each parent. And one of my favorite things to do with my dad, which happened to be like, one of the things we actually did on the weekends was I would go on rounds with him. And he was a person who through his passion for science and patience, really just touched everyone around him in a much different way than I engage with people but also similar. So you know, I dad obviously could have a very interesting scientific discussion with folks that I could never ever have some in public relations, but he really was a person who people respected and loved and you can just tell that when he walked into a room, and my mother is also like that, and I kind of got the best of both all my, of my parents. Now both of them are much much smarter than me. But, you know, I got their their passion and they're, they're outgoing personalities. And so yeah, so I really did. I mean, it's a weird thing to say, but I really I'd love going on rounds. My dad used to have nurse the ICU nurses would have coloring books for me and stuff like that, because I kind of spent a lot of time there. But those are fun, longtime memory.
Rosanna Catalano 15:11
Those are very special memories. So where did you grow up?
Unknown Speaker 15:14
I grew up in Plantation. I went to Pine Crest and Fort Lauderdale. I still serve the school on the board of directors there. And, you know, very, very fortunate to have the best of South Florida in terms of education and, you know, volunteered there at Pine Crest and started you know, really honing my passion for the community and leadership there. And so, you know, really, it's, I didn't really expect to be back here because I left I left for NYU. But you know, lots of things brought me back, particularly family after the big tragedy that my family experienced.
Rosanna Catalano 15:49
What was your major at NYU?
Heather Geronemus 15:51
So I majored in marketing and international business. So it's always going to be in some related field. I don't think that I ever thought that I was going to be in Texas. knology because, you know, obviously, we had some trouble with me figuring out how to get on to this program today. You know, I'm very, very fortunate that, that I found this job company, because it's just it's an organization where the passion matches mine even though if I went into the building that houses are developers that probably say please sleep.
Rosanna Catalano 16:23
So what was your first job out of college?
Heather Geronemus 16:26
Right out of college, I worked at Bloomberg in New York. I was the way that you got into their marketing and sales organization was going through a product training and kind of being on the front lines of customer support because he learned about the product I had interned there so it wasn't you know, it was kind of a straight shot into the the role another amazing company with an amazing leader. You know, at the time, Mike Bloomberg was there was before he ran for mayor, and he was a very hands on leader. I think one of the first days that I was there, I rode an elevator with him and he asked me who I was and what I did and that like really didn't know yet. That's kind of embarrassing, but it was that so I really kind of, again, like got to go in there and learn all about a company. And another great philanthropic organization . Got to go to some of the most amazing philanthropic events in New York because of my time at Bloomberg. So a lot of fun. And I have a lot of different marketing roles until I kind of find the right one where I am now. But yeah, that's got it, you know, with in marketing and good work in any, any company you want, right? Ever, almost every company has that has a marketing department or I hope they do.
Rosanna Catalano 17:31
If they want to keep in business.
Heather Geronemus 17:33
Exactly, well actually I was reading it today in the Wall Street Journal. Goldman Sachs hired their first CMO. And I thought that's strange. Like, how is that? How's it your first CMO? Oh, but I'm sure that they had another marketing function. They just didn't call it chief Marketing officer. That would be weird.
Rosanna Catalano 17:47
So what was a valuable lesson you learned at that first job that is still valuable to you today?
Heather Geronemus 17:54
So I think that this and I don't know if I learned it there. I learned it from my parents. But um, you know, really the most important thing is, is treating everyone with kindness and respect. I think that, you know, the we had these, like amazing folks that that were by where we scanned our badges and I and that's also where our, our coat room was because I was in New York, we had to wear coats. And you know, just knowing those people by name and asking them about their kids, and, you know, it was a meaningful thing to, to them and like, when my grandma would come visit me at work, they would know her name, and that was a meaningful thing to her. And, you know, it's I think it's just that's something that's, that I think I picked up there, but I probably picked up much earlier in life, just the importance of really treating everyone with respect. It doesn't matter. You know, where at what anyone's position in life is just everyone really deserves an equal shot. And and it's an ice you see people who disregard people and that that's something that really turns me off. And I think that like in that in that like that badge thing with the coat, check right there, like I just I would witness it a lot. But that's something that has, I think, really just carried through my entire life whether we're, you know, we're at, for our partnership for the homeless and an organization that I volunteer at. And I just go sit with folks and learn their stories, whether they're clients or people that work there. It doesn't doesn't matter. Everyone has an interesting story, and everyone has, you know, has has an important voice. And I think that's a very important lesson for anyone in any field and anything that you're doing.
Rosanna Catalano 19:29
You know, it seems that philanthropy is very important to you. What other charities are you working with in your community?
Heather Geronemus 19:36
So many? I said up front, and so I so I actively participate in several boards. I'm actually on the board chair because of like, next Wednesday, I will be the Board Chair of the Broward Sheriff's Foundation foundation works in a number of ways to support our community in partnership with the sheriff's office. We support fallen heroes we have Do you know anti terrorism efforts. And then also community outreach. And I really do think it's a really, that's an important, important aspect of what we do. It really dovetails with my work with Mothers Against Drunk Driving. That's been a lot of time with law enforcement and creating those positive first step. First interactions with law enforcement is really important. And that's a lot of what we do at the sheriff's foundation. I also serve on the local board of the Florida Board of Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, as an organization that I came to through their ultimate. But then I met the families and these kids who who are struggling, but really surviving more so than ever before and went to one of my mentors, Peter Hodge, who's ICF dad came to me and asked me to serve on the board and again, like when somebody with passion that knows that something will help them or they're someone that's important to them comes to you just can't say no. So that's how I got to progresses and you know, many, many other organizations that we get to work with about 200 nonprofits a year through all MIT and I do get to serve on some, some committees and boards that I will say that my time at the national level with mad is really my primary focus right now. But and we get to do a lot of tremendous things. Just last week ultimate and our marketing department did a car parade for a child who's made his wish has been put on hold through Make a wish, not an organization that I serve on a board of directors, but one that I've been very high touch with in the last few years because of ultimate. And you know, just to see this child who's struggling with leukemia in our community light up because he loves dinosaurs and we all decorated our cars with dinosaurs. You know, it's really something special. Every organization that I get to work with kind of brings a unique perspective. I get to meet different people and learn about different experiences. So the list goes on and on. I don't think we have all that much time.
Rosanna Catalano 21:49
That's incredibly rewarding. So you're very successful in public relations and what you do. What advice would you give to somebody that's interested in this line of work?
Heather Geronemus 22:00
So it's interesting with public relations. It is ever changing because the forms of media are changing. So like this podcast, you know, when I took job there people weren't podcasting or live casting anything you know. So I think and the reporters are newsrooms are dwindling and news is more is more sensational than ever. So really, I think it's it's a it's a line of work that's not maybe as sexy as people think it is. It's still you know, something where you need to learn your product, know your product, know your audience know the people that care about your work, or will care about your work just like anything else in life. I think you asked me about my, my lesson for my first job and which was really boiled down to relationships. And when I talk to about my dad, it was boiled down to relationships, so everything in life, whatever field you're in, unless you're like a mortician, I think, probably boils down to relationships. So I think they really but PR. No question. Being able to be a trusted source being able to not only ask people for help but to help other people is really important. Whether if it's in philanthropy or public relations.
Unknown Speaker 23:12
if people want it to give to MADD, where should they go?
Unknown Speaker 23:15
Easy MADD.org is our national site. If people are interested in Walk Like MADD & MADD Dash Fort Lauderdale, then go to walklikemadd.org\fortlauderdale. We do have an event that was postponed because it was supposed to be right when this when the pandemic hit and we're hoping to be able to put it out on in the fall. So not only to give but also to find out about how to participate when we can participate together in person would be walklikeMADD.org\fortlauderdale.
Rosanna Catalano 23:42
So we like to end our show with seven questions by asking our guests the same seven questions. Okay, what would people be surprised to know about you?
Heather Geronemus 23:51
So, I don't I don't find it surprising but every anytime I tell people this I was trained to be a professional ballet dancer. That's what I left out. When I was in Florida, that was what I was doing. I was going to NYU and then I also studied at the Joffrey Ballet School. So that was my, that was my goal in life. And I hurt my back. So I couldn't do that. And here I am.
So when you have guests in town, what is your favorite place to take them?
So this is so gut wrenching because they are closed now but I love to take people to the Broward Center. It's really my favorite place. I think we're so lucky to have the Broward center because when I was growing up here, we didn't have the Broward Center. We didn't have Parker Playhouse and Broward Center, I think was built when I was a child. But I really remember the first performance I went to there. And I'm very it's another organization that I'm very involved in. I ran their young professionals organization for a couple of years. So that's one of my favorite places. I think people are often surprised because most of my people come from New York. So people are often surprised that we have such a thriving art scene here.
Rosanna Catalano 24:48
Well, that's incredible. So when I was in high school there, I was involved with the Broward Center. They called us I think Youth Pacers, I think that was the group that we were involved with. And we worked with them giving them advice with how students would be involved. So the world is very small. it is very small. So what is the name of a book you recently read that you could not put down or a television show that you are binge watching?
Heather Geronemus 25:15
So I'm actually in the process of reading a book called The Savvy Ally. And it was bright we have we have a book club at Ultimate. And this is for with our pride group. And it's really that's really a very eye opening book about how to be an ally. It's really directed at the LGBTQIA community. But I think given everything that's going onjust raising your awareness of really being inclusive of all people is so important right now. So that's what I'm, that's what I'm plowing through right now.
Rosanna Catalano 25:44
Among your close family and friends, what are you best known for?
Heather Geronemus 25:48
Talking?
That's my thing.
Rosanna Catalano 25:54
If you have a nickname, who gave it to you?
Heather Geronemus 25:56
I don't have a nickname which is funny because I am a Heather. And I was while I was there when I was born, but when I was born, a lot of people were named Heather. And it was very popular name, but everyone else was always "Heather Something." And I was always just Heather. So very proud that I don't actually have anything.
Rosanna Catalano 26:13
If you knew you could not fail, what would you attempt?
Heather Geronemus 26:16
Broadway for sure. But I can't sing at all.
Rosanna Catalano 26:21
You could have your debut here right now, if you'd like.
Heather Geronemus 26:26
You actually, like want your people to continue to tune in, though?
Rosanna Catalano 26:30
What are the top three things you love about living in Florida?
Heather Geronemus 26:34
It's a great question. So I love it. My proximity to my family. So my mom is here and my grandma's here and these are my people. So it's really unfortunate right now if they haven't seen my grandma's and at the end of February because I traveled in the first two weeks of March and then when I got back, locked down, so she's 98 but she'll kill me for saying publicly but we are not allowing her to have any visitors. So that's a little bit hard right now, but definitely being close to the number two is that The philanthropic scene is really something special here. There are there are so many nonprofit that need especially now. And there are so many people in corporations that take the time to really invest and try to find solutions to our community's problems. So I think that that is you know, one of the most important things and this emerging kind of growing art scene that we have, you know, the Broward center, first example, but you know, Winwood and all these things that are coming on, it's a lot of fun to be to kind of see it emerge as another, you know, another epicenter for for art and culture.
Rosanna Catalano 27:39
There has been an absolute pleasure speaking with you here today. Thank you for being on this episode.
Heather Geronemus 27:42
Thank you so much.
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