Bellevue LifeSpring is pleased to announce that McCall Allen, a Global Human Resources Leader at Amazon, has joined our Board of Directors. The board was looking for an individual with experience and expertise in human resources. McCall’s valuable perspective and broad background in the HR field will be a valued addition to the board.
We asked McCall to share her vision for her new role and why she chooses to serve with Bellevue LifeSpring:
What makes Bellevue LifeSpring’s mission meaningful to you?
Each aspect of Bellevue LifeSpring’s mission is meaningful and critical in supporting the well-being of Bellevue’s low-income children. The education program and services are close to my heart. Providing scholarships to students not only provides them with stability individually, but it can also impact the lives of their families and future generations.
What do you hope to accomplish as a board member this year?
I hope to provide my human resources background to enhance the people experience at Bellevue LifeSpring. My hope is to continue building and streamlining the onboarding and exit experience for the board and staff members. In addition, I hope to develop a rhythm of the business timeline for HR functions such as compensation and performance reviews. I am looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting to work on this quickly.
You are joining the board during a critical time for our community. Why do you think Bellevue LifeSpring’s work is essential for Bellevue’s low-income children and families, especially during a crisis like COVID-19?
COVID-19 is something I never thought I’d experience in my lifetime, only something I would read and learn about in history books. I often reflect on if this pandemic occurred when I was younger. It would have been a challenge for my mom, who was a single mother raising two children.
I have also experienced losses in my family due to COVID-19, and I take this personally. Low-income children and families experience a hard enough time and then add a pandemic into the mix – it is too much. We are facing unprecedented times, and these families need help now more than ever. It is necessary for Bellevue LifeSpring to continue to provide resources for food and housing because our community is still in need.
What do you hope Bellevue LifeSpring can achieve in the future?
My hope is that Bellevue LifeSpring can achieve the vision that I know each of us wants to see. I would like to see no child facing hunger – or their families. I hope for every child to have clothing and be proud of what they are wearing. My heart will beam when all children and students have equal access and opportunities to education no matter their social status. I wish for every child to live in a loving and stable home. My sincerest hope is to achieve the vision that Bellevue LifeSpring has to end poverty here in Bellevue.
What does community mean to you?
Community means everything to me. It means unity. I think of a diverse group of people who are working together towards a common goal. Community is my family, friends, sorority sisters, and colleagues. They are the people I lean on for encouragement, support, love, and they are always there when I need it.
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We are thrilled to welcome McCall and her broad range of skills to the Bellevue LifeSpring family during this critical time for our community.
More about McCall
McCall Allen, a Human Resources leader at Amazon, works on a global team charged with helping people with disabilities access meaningful work without added friction due to lack of accessibility. In this role, McCall builds out the people accessibility strategy to influence inclusive experiences for people with disabilities in order to welcome new hires to Amazon and ensure they have the necessary tools and support needed to thrive. Prior to her current role, McCall worked for Amazon Web Services. She served as chief of staff and senior program manager for the machine learning databases and analytics and platform business units.
Before joining Amazon, McCall worked at Akamai Technologies as a program manager in the human resources group. She most notably launched a global timekeeping system implemented in over 20 countries across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia Pacific to ensure compliance that reached 7,000 employees.
McCall has successfully worked in the tech and internet industries for five-plus years, starting her career at Vistaprint, where she served as Chief of Staff and Project Manager to the Global Head of Human Resources.
McCall has also worked in higher education at both Tufts and Simmons Universities, where she was exposed to international HR programs, projects managing executive education programs, and leading women’s leadership and development initiatives for Fortune 500 companies such as Visa, Merck, and Dell EMC.
McCall graduated from Simmons University in Boston, Massachusetts, where she received a master’s degree in management. She attended Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, where she received her bachelor’s degree in management and business administration. Raised in Lexington, Massachusetts, she now resides in Seattle and is a dedicated member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated. McCall enjoys global travel, yoga, and reading.
