Executive Director of the Newark Campus Development Fund
Jennifer W. Roberts currently serves as the Executive Director for the Newark Campus Development Fund, The Thomas J. Evans Foundation and The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation.
In her current roles she has the opportunity to support access to education at COTC and Ohio State Newark, expansion of the recreational resources available for youth throughout the county, management of more than 200 parcels leased to non-profits throughout the county, and special projects funded by the foundations. Projects recently completed include the start-up of a Boys & Girls Club in Newark, the renovation of Everett Park and the construction of the Canal Market District.
Jennifer’s work requires her to collaborate with private donors, corporate and higher education leaders, government officials, non-profit organizations, and citizens of Licking County.
She received her B.A. from Denison University and began her career as a technology and business management consultant with Accenture. A passion for education and service led her to work for Licking County United Way, Denison University, The Ohio State University at Newark, Central Ohio Technical College, and Ohio Wesleyan University.
Jennifer is a member of the Newark Rotary Club. She currently serves on the Licking County Chamber of Commerce Board, the Canal Market District and Enterprise Hub Board where she serves as Treasurer, the Boys & Girls of Newark Advisory Board where she serves as the Resource Development Chair, The Works Advisory Council, and the Licking County Food Pantry Board. She served three terms on the Granville Public Library Board serving as the committee chair for the library levy renewal and has previously served on the Licking Memorial Health Systems Development Council.
In this two-part session, see how Licking County came together to plan for future growth in the county. In the first part, learn how a public-private collaboration was formed that included 15 jurisdictions and 6 business partners, convened by a private family foundation. You will be able to identify ways to learn from this model to lead within your community. The session will include a description of the community challenge, recruitment of a leadership team and planning consultant, management of community engagement and project funding. In the second half of the session, discover what the FRAMEWORK plan revealed and how the communities are working toward sustainable growth. Topics will include conservation & development, economy, and housing and will review the key deliverables. Learn how to establish actionable steps to strengthen your community and shape growth and potential opportunities and challenges to implementation. This session has been approved for 2.50 AIA HSW credits.