Felton Human Resources Manager Shontae Bowles radiates compassion and competence. If a problem comes her way, Shontae’s demeanor indicates that she will meet it head-on and resolve it with ease.
The older of three sisters, Shontae is an Oakland, California, native. Her family is close-knit and the sisters have monthly dinners at the home of her 87-year-old grandmother. The savory dinner fare is replete with vegetarian dishes, since her grandmother has been a vegetarian for most of her life. Having grown up around her grandmother when her mother was working, Shontae routinely takes a break from meat a couple of months each year, following her grandmother’s example.
Shontae’s grandmother was a strategic and hardworking entrepreneur who owned and operated several Oakland businesses. She taught Shontae and her sisters the importance of having a great work ethic.
“I worked two jobs and went to school right after high school. My hard work paid off, as I accomplished buying my first home at the age of 24,” Shontae shares proudly.
“I wanted to become a social worker as I wanted to help others. After high school, I went to the College of Alameda and took classes in-between working two jobs. Frustrated with core classes often being filled, I stopped going to school and just focused on work. I received a bachelor’s degree later on in life from the University of Phoenix.“
Shontae is looking forward to celebrating her one-year anniversary with Felton Institute. Before joining the team, she worked for a large property management firm in San Francisco.
“The social mission and values are what attracted me to Felton. Felton offers individuals the chance to fulfill their potential to live healthy and productive lives. We provide a spectrum of mental health services to people of all ages to support hope, wellness, and recovery.
“I love working in Human Resources; the day-to-day duties of HR constantly revolve around interacting with people. Each workday is different. You have to stay on your toes when you work in HR. One day you may be helping an employee navigate changes to their health insurance, while the next you could be dealing with the effects of new laws or regulations. Challenges like these can keep the work engaging, no matter how long you’ve worked in HR.
“Also, Felton offers work-life balance and the greatest benefits package I have ever seen.”
In addition to her monthly meals with her grandmother, Shontae enjoys creating new culinary adventures on her own. “Eating the same meals week after week becomes monotonous. Trying just one new recipe a week has made me excited to get in the kitchen. On the flip side, looking at mile-long ingredients lists can be overwhelming. But what I learned is not to breeze past a recipe with a ton of ingredients; It’s worth taking stock of what I have in the house and ultimately realizing, I may not need to buy that many more, and that the prep is pretty easy.”
Whether the task before her is professional or personal, Shontae focuses on her mission of making others feel special. “People will forget what you said; people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. Such a great quote. When you get it, you truly get it. We are indeed creatures of emotion, (most of us anyway), and our strongest memories are those attached to strong emotions.“
For more information about Felton Careers and HR, please visit www.felton.org/careers.
About Felton Institute: Founded in 1889, Felton Institute responds to human needs by providing cutting edge, evidence-based mental health and social services that transform lives. Felton Institute is a tax-exempt organization registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit under EIN 94-1156530.
Offering more than 50 acclaimed and honored programs that address homelessness, mental health, prenatal, adolescent, adult and senior needs, Felton Institute provides services in San Francisco, Alameda, San Mateo, Marin, and Monterey counties.
Felton is named for its social services pioneer and executive director Dr. Katharine “Kitty” Felton who was called the ”conscience of San Francisco” and was committed to ensuring that children and families in crisis have access to social services and resources in order to help them build upon their inherent strengths and develop self-sufficiency. www.felton.org