The Wendy Jo Shaffer Foundation supports women in professional spaces, with a focus on engineering, math, and science. We are dedicated to uplifting women in these fields by providing mentorship, advocacy, and resources. Through Wendy Jo Shaffer’s legacy, we strive to empower women to thrive and lead with confidence. Join us in honoring Wendy’s memory and making a lasting impact.
About Wendy Jo Shaffer
Wendy Jo Shaffer (maiden name Wigstrom) filled her 35 years on Earth full of connection and community. Wendy was kind, hardworking, curious, optimistic, and competitive – each fueling her to succeed in her studies at Mahtomedi High School (MHS) and the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Wendy valued family, community, and making a positive impact on others, and worked as a chemical engineer implementing food production processes to make people’s lives easier around the world. Wendy was well rounded – both an engineer and a people-person, and accomplished in sports, service, and her personal life. Wendy’s attitude made everything exciting to those around her, and her confidence and leadership helped others to believe in themselves.
While in middle and high school at Mahtomedi, Wendy engaged and led in many ways – volunteering in student groups, playing the French Horn in band, leading actively in student council, excelling in her coursework including multiple AP classes in both math and English, and excelling equally as well in her sports of choice – soccer, hockey, and lacrosse. Senior year of high school, Wendy chose her favorite quote as her motto: “Put a smile on your face… Make the world a better place.” – and Wendy certainly did this herself.
After graduating from MHS in 2007, Wendy went on to the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she studied chemical engineering and made many new friends and connections. She was active in student clubs, including the Society of Women Engineers and completing a service trip with Engineers Without Borders to Haiti. During her senior year of college, Wendy completed a “co-op” (internship-type experience) with Cargill as part of her engineering training. She chose Charlotte, North Carolina for that – attracted to being in a new part of the country and the culture and growth that would come from being in a city. After a fun and successful co-op experience, Wendy ultimately decided to move back to Charlotte and work for Cargill after graduating from UW Madison in 2012.
Wendy had a passion for the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) program. The SWE program has given women engineers a unique place and voice within the engineering industry. Wendy has worked and volunteered countless hours attending SWE conferences and events to help mentor and empower herself and other women pursuing careers in engineering. Wendy felt very strongly about how SWE’s organization is dedicated to advancing women engineers by providing opportunities for professional development and networking; as well as increasing the number of women pursuing engineering careers through scholarships, outreach programs, and advocacy efforts.
Wendy dedicated over 12 years of her career to Cargill, where she led efforts to make processes more efficient, increasing access to food and providing better opportunities for staff. She leveraged her education, confidence, and optimism to excel at Cargill as a woman in professional spaces dominated by men – from a warehouse to a refinery to business operations and supply chain. Wendy’s intelligence, drive, and commitment to excellence left a lasting impact on everyone she worked with.
“Wendy was a force for good, a shining light, and everyone that knew her experienced that from her, She was admired and loved colleague and a friend to many of us. She was a wonderful human being! Her legacy will live on at Cargill from the impact that she made, in our hearts, as well as we support the Wendy Jo Shaffer Foundation.” -Gonzalo Petschen, Group President, Food North America”
A few years into living in Charlotte, Wendy met and fell in love with her future husband Nathan Shaffer – building a home, community, and family together in the nearly ten years they had together. Wendy loved and valued her family deeply – prioritizing regular visits to Minnesota, recruiting her sister to live in North Carolina as well, and pouring love into her relationship with Nate and their two boys Shields (born 2021) and Bennett (2023).
While Wendy’s life ended abruptly on January 29, 2025, her legacy will live on and shine brightly through the connections she made and the acts of service and kindness carried out in her memory among Wendy’s many family members, friends, colleagues, neighbors, and acquaintances.
To learn more about the The Wendy Jo Shaffer Scholarship for Women in Engineering Scholarship Program & Mentorship Program, click here.
The Wendy Jo Shaffer Foundation Fund was established with the Greater White Bear Lake Community Foundation (GWBLCF). The GWBLCF is proud to administer this fund and support the legacy of Wendy.