By Luke Maguire ’19
As a double major in English and social rehabilitation, Cedric Ellis ’84 discovered that teaching high school English was not the best fit for him. With his foundation in social work, Ellis pursued a position at the Connecticut Office of Legislative Research as an entry-level researcher. He credits his multidisciplinary liberal arts education from Assumption for finding his true calling in human resources.
As executive vice president and chief enterprise services officer of CUNA Mutual Group in Madison, WI, Ellis said Assumption cultivated in him a sense of social responsibility. “Assumption nurtured and enabled me to be an individual of critical intelligence and developed my sense of citizenship and compassionate service,” he said. “Not only do I attempt to be thoughtful in how I share my resources and my time for the benefit of others, but I encourage our employees to do the same.”
Compassion and giving back are at the root of Ellis as a professional and in his everyday life. He has remained
connected to the institution, engaging with the Career Development and Internship Center to invite students to intern at CUNA Mutual in Madison, in hopes of hiring them full time. He is also collaborating with Assumption’s ALANA (African, Latino/Hispanic, Asian, and Native American) Network to “inspire students who look like me.”
Ellis hopes he can motivate diverse groups of people to continue to thrive in specialized settings. “Professionally, I’m proud of being able to influence leaders to better appreciate the power of diversity, equity, and inclusion,” he said. “Often people fear the unknown. I hope I’ve helped leaders see that diversity is all of us.”
