A Journey of Transformation: Shelley Schaaf, New Board Member

Shelley Schaaf is one of the newest members of the IMPACTChicago Board of Directors. As part of her volunteer work for IMPACT Chicago, Shelley is coordinating the important work of recruiting new suited instructors.

Shelley grew up in the Chicago land area and currently lives in the South Suburbs.  She has spent most of her professional career working in non-profit community organizations wanting to make a difference in the lives of all people.  To that end, she is the Human Resource Director of Ounce of Prevention. 

Ounce of Prevention offers her the opportunity to return to her professional roots in early intervention programming.  Shelley has a strong belief that engaging with children and their families at an early stage of development provides people with the best opportunity to achieve their fullest potential.

In 2016 Shelley enrolled in the IMPACT Chicago Core Program expecting to be able to check off another task from her long list of things she thought she should do throughout her life.  The Core Program turned out to be much more.  It was a journey that provided her with physical skills of self-defense but also provided her with a new sense of strength and power.

For Shelley, it was an amazing journey of transformation.  She made the decision to join the Board in hope of helping other women experience a journey similar to hers.  She hopes to watch other women walk out of the Core Program as “bad ass warriors”.

Sheila Hickey, IMPACT Chicago Board