Title: Executive Director
Company: Meristem
Location: Martinez, California, United States
Erin M. Schirm, Executive Director at Meristem, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives for dedication, achievements, and leadership in higher and special education.
With over a decade of experience, Ms. Schirm has built a successful career in higher education, specializing in autism programs for young adults. Since 2022, she has excelled as the executive director of Meristem, where she manages the organizational budget, develops a leadership team, handles hiring and firing, strategically reorganizes the program, and trains staff to effectively implement its mission. She also engages directly with parents, students, and donors while overseeing general administrative work. Her previous roles at Meristem include program director from 2021 to 2022 and instructor from 2019 to 2021. She also served as president of Rudolf Steiner College Fair Oaks, director and junior national coach of sport development for Orienteering USA, business partner for Find Adventure Sport and Adventure Running California, and board member for the Bay Area Orienteering Club and Korczak School.
Ms. Schirm is also a dedicated member and volunteer with Orienteering USA, where she received a service award in 2021. Laying a solid educational foundation, she earned a Bachelor of Science in physical education from Syracuse University in 2011, a Level II coaching certificate in track and field from 2014, and a certificate in spacial dynamics, movement therapy, and movement education completed in 2013. Reflecting on her path, she considers her most significant accomplishment to be taking over Meristem and transforming its organizational culture. When she stepped into leadership, the administrative processes were inadequate, and the overall culture needed improvement. She successfully implemented layers of structure, improved staff remuneration, and enhanced the program’s overall efficiency, creating a healthier and more effective organization.
Ms. Schirm attributes her success to being open to new ideas, removing ego from decision-making, and leveraging the strengths of those around her. Her ultimate goal is to establish Meristem’s educational approach as a paradigm for more effective education. She aims to ensure the program’s sustainability and success while transforming it into a knowledge center that provides guidance on best practices. Additionally, she envisions Meristem as a model for healthy leadership and a progressive social approach that challenges the norm. In advising aspiring professionals, she emphasizes focusing on their capabilities and striving to achieve extraordinary outcomes. She encourages others not to let conventional processes or bureaucratic hurdles stand in the way of their progress.
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