Mark Meads
President, Ash Grove Charitable Foundation
The Ash Grove Charitable Foundation has a long history of supporting qualifying public charities in the communities served by the Ash Grove Cement Company, one of the largest cement companies in the United States. As a supporter of United WE for nearly a decade, Ash Grove has long embraced our mission to advance opportunities for women.
“Ash Grove plays an important part in the foundation and infrastructure of our country – and this includes the advancement of women,” said Mark Meads, president of the Ash Grove Charitable Foundation.
Through his work, Mark and the Foundation have been allies in helping United WE’s mission evolve and grow. Most recently, the Foundation funded United WE’s expansion into Oklahoma (where Ash Grove has business locations and customers) by making the Status of Women in Oklahoma research possible in partnership with Oklahoma State University. “It’s exciting for me to see the expansion of United WE’s mission into more communities and the significant impact being made to advance women’s economic and civic leadership to make meaningful change,” said Meads. “United WE’s model of utilizing qualitative and quantitative research to identity barriers for women, and then define innovative solutions, works. I am confident the fruits of this research will create opportunities that will empower more women in Oklahoma.”
“We are grateful for the support of the Ash Grove Charitable Foundation,” said Wendy Doyle, United WE president and CEO. “Research is the first step to true, sustainable change, as it identifies specific barriers to women’s economic development and spurs the development of smart, practical solutions to overcome them. The Ash Grove Charitable Foundation’s support of the Status of Women in Oklahoma demonstrates the power of partnerships in transforming the futures of Oklahoma women.”
As a male ally, Mark Meads knows there is a role for all – women and men to play in the advancement of women.
“We are all responsible for recognizing the ways women are being held back and take action to correct it. When we all work together so more women can participate in the economy, our families and communities thrive.”
You can read the recently released Status of Women in Oklahoma research here.
