Lynn C. Jennings

About Lynn C. Jennings

Strategic Leader with 15+ years of dedication to creating and launching departments, programs, and initiatives that deliver meaningful results in promoting education equity and justice. Early in my career, I was on the path towards being a college professor. I made the transition to public policy when I started working for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation where I led strategy and ops for fellowships, internships, and scholarship programs, and managed budgets and multiple grants worth over $1 million. I also taught part-time at George Washington University and Trinity Washington University.In my 13-year tenure with Education Trust, I gained experience as a congressional lobbyist and have since curated thousands of national and state partnerships. I\'ve developed key strategic imperatives that united diverse stakeholders to pursue shared policy goals in the critical realm of education equity and justice. Areas of Strength Strategic Thought Leader: Expertise in creating and launching start-up divisions and building/leading teams for non-profits that innovate new ways to positively influence federal and state education policy. I present compelling strategic proposals, enhancing the organization\'s visibility, credibility, and effectiveness. People Leader: Exceptional ability to hire and develop talent. Dedicated coach and mentor to direct reports and a trusted advisor to strategic partners across the nation. Very clear in setting performance objectives, managing results, and inspiring team members to achieve important goals that serve the mission. Passionate Collaboration Catalyst: Expert in bringing together diverse and sometimes unlikely allies to work toward a common goal, fostering partnerships and coalitions for the betterment of education. Fiscal Acuity: Highly successful in securing, administering, and distributing millions in grant funds for impactful education initiatives, including state and federal advocacy programs, organizational partnerships, policy campaigns, and advocacy events. Data-Driven Advocacy & Policy Decisions: Trusted by executive leadership to have a pulse on important politics around policy and policy implementation. Excellent ability to lead teams in analyzing and translating data into compelling arguments to inform, influence, and communicate policy decisions. I am deeply committed to staying at the forefront of important educational policies and contributing to national conversations about educational equity and justice. To learn more about my work, please connect with me here on LinkedIn.

Experience

1. Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives & National Partnership

   Edtrust

   Aug 2023 — Present

   Appointed to an expanded role to set the long-term vision and strategy for partnerships and assess short and long-term impact. Trusted to build a new team that will document, measure, track, and report on the impact of Ed Trust’s initiatives. Collaborate with C-suite to develop future strategies for the Ed Trust brand.EdTrust is a nonprofit committed to advancing policies and practices to dismantle the racial and economic barriers embedded in the American education system through research and advocacy education. Champions for equity and justice, leveraging political and public will to build an education system where students will thrive.

Education

• University of Wisconsin-Madison

  Ph.D.

• Spelman College

  Bachelor of Arts - BA