Jen is an accomplished and visionary leader in the fields of art, design, and culture, with over 30 years of experience in strategic planning, external affairs, program development, academic operations, and innovation. She is the Jordan Schnitzer Dean of the Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) at Willamette University, where she leads a community of artists, designers, educators, and students who are committed to advancing civic life and human thriving in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.Before joining PNCA, Jen served as the chief of staff and founding director of the National Collaborative for Creative Work at the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University, the largest arts and design college in America. There, she developed and implemented national partnerships and policy solutions that supported the social, financial, and civic health of creative workers and their communities. Jen also has a distinguished record of public service as the former chief cultural officer of the city of Nashville, where she worked with three mayors, elected officials, and diverse stakeholders to create and execute a vision for a vibrant and equitable cultural ecosystem. Prior to her art-centered positions she held a variety of leadership roles in local and national nonprofits focused on strategy, program development and expansion and public engagment. She's spent her career leading organizations in moments of profound change--start up, growth or merger. She thrives connecting strategy to action and building teams with emotional intellience and resilience able to drive innovation, take creative risk and acheive public impact results. Jen is a nationally recognized advocate and expert on creative placemaking, cultural policy and urban arts ecosystems. She is a frequent speaker and advisor to organizations, philanthropy and the public sector on creative workforce and community system issues. When she is not leading her college or thinking about cultural policy in America, you can find her gardening, hiking with her Australian cattle dog puppy, listening to a history podcast or enjoying British streaming services.