Jen has more than 25 years of experience in educational policy. In what she dubs her “first career,” Jen worked for nearly 15 years at the Southern Poverty Law Center, where she led its educational equity initiatives as its education director and later as senior adviser to its president. After leaving the Law Center, Jen joined the Denver Public Schools, ultimately serving on the cabinets of three superintendents, leading systems efforts to ensure all schools — district, charter and innovation — improved service to students of color, students experiencing poverty, students who are emergent multilinguals and students with an individualized education plans. Jen holds a master’s degree in justice with specialization in youth and families from Auburn University at Montgomery and a bachelor’s degree in sociology and anthropology from Davidson College.