Director of Compliance & Policy

Ms. Lee Swapp
Ms. Lee Swapp is the Director of Compliance & Policy for Cherokee. She is responsible for the overall management of employee benefits and recruiting and hiring. Ms. Swapp is a trustee for the Employee Stock Ownership Trust and an administrator of Cherokee’s 401(k) plan.

Ms. Swapp earned a B.A. degree from the University of California at Los Angeles and a Masters of Education degree from Boston University’s overseas campus in Frankfurt, Germany in 1979. Ms. Swapp spent 15 years working at various U.S. Embassies and Consulates on the continents of Africa and Europe where she was an Executive Assistant. She and her family returned to the U.S. in 1988 where Ms. Swapp held progressively more responsible Executive Assistant positions.

Ms. Swapp began with Cherokee in November 1997, joining the President and Vice President as the third corporate office employee. She accepted the position of Corporate Executive Assistant and was responsible for payroll and related taxes, human resource administration and for ensuring a smooth and orderly running of the office.

Ms. Swapp has seen the company through a period of continuous, explosive growth, from fewer than 30 employees to more than 600 employees. Her responsibilities grew significantly over the years, and she was promoted to Director of Human Resources in 2000. She and her staff have been responsible for the successful testing and implementation of a robust, nationally recognized accounting software program; migration from paper timesheets to an electronic, web-based timesheet program; and the implementation of an electronic Employee Self Service program that allows employees access to and management of their company benefits.