Jenn was born and raised in Panama City, Florida (Bay County), where she still calls home. She works as the FASD Clinic Lead – Panhandle and previously worked remotely as a Parent Advocate for The Florida Center for Early Childhood’s Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) clinic based in Sarasota. From early in her marriage to her husband (Tony), her family knew there was an interest in adoption, but they did not know how that would unfold. They completed what was known as MAPP training and became approved as adoptive parents, but the timing of a child entering their family was not what they expected. In 2014, with what was initially to be a favor to a long-time family friend, Jenn and Tony became non-relative caregivers to a child, finalizing his adoption just before his first birthday in 2015. The family now consists of four incredible children: three boys and a girl.

After spending almost 15 years in banking, Jenn quit working to stay home to care for her youngest child as an infant. She knew that when she returned to work, she wanted it to be at a job that allowed her to serve children and families. She completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Social Work at Florida State University’s Panama City campus. Currently, Jenn leads a multidisciplinary team that conducts FASD evaluations for Florida’s panhandle families. While in her former role as a Parent Advocate, her goal was for families never to have families walk away from the program wondering “What now?” Jenn has turned her life experiences into a resource and a ray of hope for other families. She enjoys advocating at the local, state, and federal levels, including attending annual awareness events and advocacy days in Washington DC. Jenn is excited to use her passion to support the needs of Florida’s foster and adoptive families.