Meet Our First Executive Director Jennifer Valentine
We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve welcomed Jennifer Valentine as Pandemic Parenting’s first Executive Director! Jennifer joined Pandemic Parenting on March 1, 2021, and will help co-pilot our rapidly growing organization into a thriving nonprofit that supports thousands of parents and caregivers across the globe.
Jennifer brings with her many years of experience guiding start-up and small nonprofit organizations through her freelance and consulting business, The Write Words, LLC. In the last five years, she has helped more than 30 client organizations and executive directors learn the basics of fundraising, board recruiting/development/engagement, strategic planning, operations leadership, and general outreach planning. She is proud of helping new leaders and emerging charitable organizations achieve financial stability through grant fundraising and organizational guidance.
“I have been a loyal Pandemic Parenting user since the beginning, feeling like I was its target audience when it first launched in the summer of 2020,” Jennifer said. “The helpful nuggets of insight and advice to support my household as we navigate the challenges of life during a pandemic have been invaluable resources, just as they have been for thousands of other parents and caregivers. It is my privilege to help lead the organization into something bigger and better for as long as parents and caregivers find Pandemic Parenting beneficial. It’s a privilege to be welcomed to the team.”
After earning her J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School, Jennifer has held leadership roles as a senior assistant general counsel for the City Colleges of Chicago and as a volunteer attorney and board member for the Pro Bono Network, a Chicago-area nonprofit that provides volunteer attorneys short-term, legal aid representation opportunities. As relatively recent transplants to the metro Detroit area, she and her husband are proud parents of one teenager and tween triplets! When Jennifer is not driving her kids to and from their sports and activities, she indulges in reading a good book, planning a getaway, or tap dancing around the house for fun.
After seven months of managing Pandemic Parenting as co-founders, we are excited to have Jennifer leading the organization with us. We know that her experience and heart will allow us to amplify the resources we have for parents and caregivers and produce even more science-based resources for those who need it most, during and beyond the pandemic. Thank you for showing Jennifer the same warm welcome that you’ve shown to us!
- Dr. Amanda Zelechoski & Dr. Lindsay Malloy, co-founders of Pandemic Parenting
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