Clayton Lord

Director at SHRM

Clayton Lord (Clay, he/him) oversees strategy, planning, program delivery, and program evaluation for the SHRM Foundation, the 501(c)3 philanthropic arm of SHRM, which focuses on widening pathways to work and helping every worker thrive by empowering HR leaders to be forces for social good. He is a social impact executive with 20 years’ experience nurturing and evaluating complex initiatives that drive systemic change. Clay is a prolific writer, thinker, and speaker about the transformation of American communities, including shifts and changes in labor, public and private value, innovation and technology, and community priorities. He has authored or co-authored various research reports and three books and has guest lectured at colleges and universities across the country. Clay is a writer, painter, and quilter, as well as a travel fanatic, and holds a B.A. in English and Psychology from Georgetown University. He lives with his husband and daughter in Maryland.