Wendy Shaffer, Northern Essex Community College Dean of Development.

Wendy Shaffer, Northern Essex Community College’s Dean of Development, was one of 21 women honored during the Northeastern Massachusetts YWCA’s 28th Celebration of Tribute to Women on Thursday, October 26, at DiBurro’s Function Hall.

Shaffer, a 36-year employee of Northern Essex, is a Newburyport resident. Raised in a family that believed in the value of education, she attended UMass Amherst graduating with a bachelor of arts and a master’s in education. With a career in higher education, Shaffer says she is grateful for the opportunity to pay it forward.

As dean of NECC’s development, she is responsible for writing public and private sector grants. She is inspired every day by the college’s faculty and students.

“I work alongside scientists, artists, mathematicians, authors, nurses, historians, and engineers and I see how their efforts impact others,” Wendy said.

Shaffer refers to her work as “challenging, exciting, and rewarding”.

“I am truly honored to be part of an extraordinary team,” she said.

NECC President Lane Glenn credits her team with burning the midnight oil to develop grant proposals. “People don’t generally write grant proposals at work during the day when the lights are on and the phones are ringing,” he said “Successful grant proposals are most often written in the off hours. They are laborious to write and can be arduous to implement. But they enable people and institutions to do great things. In Wendy’s case, they are written because of an immense belief in the mission of the college and because of the contribution they make to student success. This is really at the core of what Wendy is all about.”

YWCA Executive director Susan Staples and YWCA Board President Katherine Castro Eardly wrote in the program’s forward that “We are always astounded by what our honorees have contributed to their families, workplaces, and communities. It is apparent that these women are dedicated, sincere, tenacious, inspirational and empowered. At some point in each of their lives, a family member, mentor, or friend supported them in their endeavors to move forward to where they are today.”