JILL OLMSTEAD

Jill’s first attempts at dance were in her hometown of Kingsport, TN as a 5-year-old. Her dad, who spent his career at Tennessee Eastman Company as the Head of Community Relations and PR, recalls those dance lessons better than Jill does.

When Jill told her parents about her Dancing With The Stars performance, her dad said with a grin, “You don’t have to do ballet do you?  I never thought you showed great potential.”

Jill’s mom is a retired elementary school teacher. Her older sister followed in their mom’s footsteps and teaches first grade in Hendersonville, NC.

Jill is also a teacher of sorts. Her career has been focused on building leadership skills in people in corporate and nonprofit environments.  She graduated from Clemson University, where she enjoyed seeing the Tigers win their first National Championship her freshman year. She’s still a big football fan and returns to Death Valley when she can to see the Tigers.   Jill also holds a Masters in Human and Organizational Behavior from Fielding University.

After graduation, Jill joined First Union (now Wells Fargo) and, over the course of more than two decades, built a career in HR and leadership development. She was a Founding Partner in Spivey&Olmstead, a talent and leadership consulting firm, before joining LendingTree in 2018 as Chief Human Resources Officer. Building strong cultures through great leadership has been Jill’s primary professional interest.

One of Jill’s best days ever was the day in 1992 she married Don. They have two grown sons, Jack and Ben, and feel fortunate to have built a life in Charlotte. They are passionate about giving back to the city they love – particularly in the areas of education, the arts, and working on solutions for families experiencing homelessness and affordable housing issues.

Active in the community, Jill has served on the First Presbyterian Church College of Elders, the Board of Trustees for Charlotte Latin School, and the Board of Harvey B. Gantt African American Arts. Don introduced Jill to Charlotte Family Housing when he joined the board several years ago, and they both advocate for the critical work that organization does to assist families experiencing homelessness.

Profession/Career:  Currently Chief Human Resources and Administrative Officer at LendingTree. Previous: Founding Partner, Spivey&Olmstead Leadership, 2010-2018 and EVP, MD, Head of HR, Corporate and Investment Bank, Wachovia Corporation 2005-2009.

Interests/Hobbies:  Adventure travel, listening to live music, and supporting the Panthers and the Hornets.

Dance experience: Jill’s dance experience is limited to the ballet lessons she took for four years beginning when she was 5, which she labels “a disaster.”   She was also known to dance on fireplace mantles at various college parties.

Why are you participating in this event?  My mission is simple and singular: to spotlight the crucial work Charlotte Family Housing (CFH) does in our community. I am willing to humiliate myself to do that.

Fun facts about yourself:  My first summer job was as a forklift operator. I haven’t used that skill since 1983, but the experience proved to me that it can be fun and character building to step outside your comfort zone.  I also want to hop on a forklift everytime I am in a home improvement center.