WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation (NRF) on Monday named Ellen Davis president of the NRF Foundation, the NRF’s philanthropic arm.

Ellen Davis

Davis will continue to serve NRF as the organization’s senior vice president for research and strategic initiatives.

As president, Davis will oversee the foundation’s programs in job-readiness training, education, scholarships and credentialing.

“Under Ellen’s leadership, the breadth, depth and positive influence of the NRF Foundation has been transformative,” Matthew Shay, NRF’s president and chief executive officer, said in a statement. “Ellen has translated strategic vision into reality, and she and the foundation’s extraordinary staff have successfully conducted multiple programs across myriad platforms that are recognized as the new industry standard. Their work is unrivaled and greatly valued by all retailers.”

Said Davis, “It has taken a true team effort to achieve the successes we have seen, whether it’s raising awareness of the importance of the retail industry to the economy or helping job seekers become trained and find a career in retail. There is still much work to be done, and I’m so excited to work with our leadership to continue to impact retail’s next generation.”

Davis joined NRF in 2002 as manager of media relations. She was given the role of foundation executive director in 2012 and is credited with restructuring the division to better align it with NRF’s strategic plan and programs.

Among her accomplishments is the introduction of the NRF Foundation Gala, an annual event held during the NRF annual convention in New York to raise money to support the foundation’s programs. She also formed the NRF Talent Acquisition Group, a network of more than 60 talent human resources executives from some of the best-known retailers in the United States. Last year, Davis led creation of RISE Up, a nationwide program that works with nonprofits to provide job training and credentialing in basic retail skills.

Davis holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Millikin University and a master’s degree in business administration from the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business.