Hi there, I’m Jen.

Managing Director, National Communications, City Year, Boston, MA, January 2024-present

Lead external content development and thought leadership strategy at national nonprofit as part of Marketing & Communication Department’s management group.

• Edit and oversee national blog, MarComm editorial calendar, organizational monthly e-newsletter, external collateral.

• Advance key goals related to fundraising, recruitment, and national positioning.

• Support CEO office on external initiatives; oversee major publications, such as research reports, white papers, annual reports.

Senior Director Communications, March 2017- December 2023

Manager. Led creative, diverse national communications team dedicated to organic storytelling.

• Editor. Editor-in-chief of national blog; managed Asana calendar; in collaboration with Digital Marketing, tripled blog pageviews 2021 to 20212, from 80,000 to 240,000; 76% increase in blog call-to-action engagement in 2022.

• Thought leadership strategist. Helped launch organization’s first thought leadership strategy; led on translating research and connecting findings to broader conversations; oversaw conference calendar; built external relationships with peer organizations and education writers.

• Impact storyteller. Drove data-rich storytelling to convey organization’s holistic approach, value proposition and influence, using surveys, research and data tools; integrated impact narrative into major projects including Annual Report, op-eds, and fundraising materials.

• Asset-based writer. Refined and advanced organization’s messaging striving for inclusive language, diverse voices, and asset-based framing; update organizational narrative and major collateral such as press kit, information kit, web copy, etc.

• Kept major initiatives on track; led on writing, editing and communications strategy for multiple projects including co-project managing Annual Report; supported major national initiative launched at the White House in July 2022: The National Partnership for Student Success.

Communications Director/Writer, January 2016-February 2017

Wrote, edited and produced creative projects for targeted audiences including: policymakers, educators, investors, philanthropies, elected officials and the media.

Senior Writer, Opportunity Nation, Boston MA, February 2013-January 2016

Chief storyteller at entrepreneurial, bipartisan national nonprofit dedicated to expanding upward mobility for young people, run with the urgency of a political campaign.

• Key role in strategizing and executing public roll out of major releases and events that received widespread media coverage such as the annual Opportunity Index and the National Opportunity Summit.

• Led messaging and content of policy platforms including workforce development, juvenile justice, civic engagement and youth unemployment.

• Doubled volume and page views of national blog in first 12 months.

Freelance Writer, June 2012-January 2016

Wrote stories about innovation in education for national audiences. Stories appeared in U.S. News & World Report; PBS Newshour, The Hechinger Report, Deseret News, Duke University’s Faith and Leadership magazine, and other publications.

Adjunct Faculty, Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI Fall 2014; Fall 2015

Taught reporting and feature writing to digital journalism majors. Focus on narrative storytelling and beat reporting.

Staff Writer, The Providence Journal, Providence, RI July 2022-February 2013

• Award-winning reporter covering national K-12 education reform; issues of affordability and access in higher education; and the intersection of education and the economy in a struggling state.

• Part of team coverage of the Station Nightclub Fire, which was a finalist for the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service

Staff Writer, The Eagle-Tribune, North Andover, MA July 2000-June 2002

• Covered intense growth of New Hampshire boarder towns; health and feature writing. Won several regional awards.

• Promoted to Massachusetts Statehouse reporter covering Mitt Romney’s gubernatorial campaign.

Staff Writer, Keene Sentinel, Keene, NH April 1999-June 2000

Keene City Reporter for daily newspaper; 2000 presidential primary coverage for candidates Al Gore, John McCain and Steve Forbes.