Founders Note: I am particularly honored to have my friend Shelley join our Southeast Board of Directors for Operation HOPE, as she has so much incredible history with the organization, spearheading the bank's support for Operation HOPE and so many other worthwhile organizations in the Los Angeles market for a number of years there. Shelley was the first founding partner and sponsor in our work for Operation HOPE, Miami, as we launched our innovative partnership with the City of Miami. Now, Shelley Freeman becomes the first founding director Operation HOPE in the state of Florida, representing the state on the Southeast board.
Shelley Freeman is regional president for Wells Fargo’s Florida Community Bank where she is responsible for retail, small business, and business banking with 703 banking stores currently operating under the Wachovia brand.
Freeman also serves as the national co-leader for the company’s affluent customer support strategy. In this capacity, Freeman works closely with the company’s more than 6000 licensed bankers, regional bank private bankers and store-based financial consultants.
Before assuming her current role in January, 2009, Freeman most recently served as regional president of Wells Fargo’s Los Angeles Metro Community Bank. Prior to that, she was head of Investment Internet Services for the company’s Internet Services Group, where she was responsible for development of online strategy, product management and capabilities, and customer service for online
investing.
She joined Wells Fargo in 1996 as director of Private Banking and Brokerage Administration, where she was responsible for leading the integration of the financial consultant sales force with private
banking. In 1997, her responsibilities grew to include overseeing all of Private Client Services’ marketing, product development and management, training, sales information and strategy, front office technology, and compliance. Before joining Wells Fargo, she was a marketing and high net-worth services director at Lehman Brothers.
Freeman graduated from Wilkes University and is a member of its board of trustees. She also serves on the Board of Regents for the Point Foundation and is a member of the Florida Council of 100.
In Los Angeles, Freeman served as a member of the board of directors of the Jewish Home for the Aging, the Los Angeles Center Theatre Group, and the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center. She also served on the AIDS Project L.A. Ambassador Council and on the Advisory Councils for the Los Angeles Alzheimer’s Association, the Trevor Project and the Los Angeles Library. In 2006, she received the Deborah Award from the Anti-Defamation League and in 2007, received the “Excellence in Civic Leadership” award from the
Southern California Leadership Network. Freeman is a former commissioner for the L.A. Police Commission, serving a two-year term at the request of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.