Shawn M. Kahle, APR, is a highly experienced communication and social responsibility executive having served in multiple leadership roles for global organizations during her 40-year professional career. Currently, she is Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications for JD Power.
Shawn’s senior-level communication and social impact roles during her professional career span an array of industries, including telecommunications (Ameritech/Michigan Bell); retail (Kmart Corporation); trade shows (Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc.); agency (Arment Dietrich); financial/business services (Assurant and the Assurant Foundation); background screening (Sterling Check/First Advantage.) When not in the corporate sector, she was President and CEO of The New Detroit Science Center (a hands-on children’s science museum) and on the faculty at both Wayne State University (Detroit) and Loyola University (Chicago).
Shawn has served on 19 nonprofit and membership boards, largely during her years in Detroit and Chicago. At the national level, she was on the Executive Committee of the Board and served as Vice Chair and Audit Committee Chair of the Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals (ACCP). She also created and headed the Assurant Cares Employee Support (ACES) Fund as a separate nonprofit to assist employees and their families globally when facing financial hardships due to natural disasters as well as during the pandemic from 2020-2022.
Shawn holds an APR as an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America. Among awards earned are an Arts Achievement Award from Wayne State University in recognition of her professional career, and an honorary doctorate for community service awarded by Cleary College. She completed her undergraduate degree at Ball State University as well as graduate course work at Central Michigan University and Wayne State University.
Shawn and her husband Robert W. Kahle moved to the Charleston area in 2014 and were delighted to quickly discover the Charleston Jazz Orchestra. Currently reside on Johns Island, South Carolina and support and volunteer with various nonprofits, especially organizations that foster inclusivity and opportunity, address food and housing insecurity, and enrich our community through the arts and education.
