08
January
2019
|
13:02 PM
America/New_York

Susan Basso appointed to Columbus Women’s Commission

Basso leads Ohio State’s Office of Talent, Culture and Human Resources

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Wishing to use her expertise to serve the Columbus community, Susan Basso has been named to the Columbus Women’s Commission for a two-year term. Basso, the university’s senior vice president for talent, culture and human resources, has 30 years of experience in higher education human resources.

The Columbus Women’s Commission was established by Mayor Andrew J. Ginther in February 2016, in his first state of the city address. It is chaired by First Lady Shannon Ginther. The commission comprises 23 members, a diverse group of leaders spanning public and private sectors and nonprofit organizations representing all ages, educational backgrounds, races and personal experiences.

Basso, who joined the university in September 2017, says she’s excited for the opportunity to serve the community she now calls home.

“As a female executive, and having been in leadership positions for the last number of years, I’ve had the opportunity to really see some of the challenges facing women, particularly in the workplace. So it’s definitely a topic I’m interested in and passionate about,” she said.

Basso’s believes her expertise can positively impact what she believes is the biggest challenge facing women in Columbus: being recognized and compensated for their talent.

On her application to join the commission, she described how she can be part of the solution to that challenge: “How do women secure the top jobs in the city? How do they compete and negotiate for those opportunities? How do they ensure they are obtaining salaries commensurate with their experiences and consistent with their male counterparts? And, once employed, how do they ensure they are remaining competitive? I think my background and expertise lends itself very well to contributing to this conversation in a positive way.”

The goal of the Columbus Women’s Commission is to dismantle barriers and reduce gender-based inequities to improve the economic position of women in Columbus. It has four standing committees that focus on pay equity, affordable housing and evictions, health and workforce development.

Since its inception, the commission has asked local companies to sign The Columbus Commitment: Achieving Pay Equity, a voluntary pledge to address gender pay inequity, with more than 170 companies, including Ohio State and the Wexner Medical Center endorsing the document. It also has released recommendations to reduce evictions.