Jenny has a Masters of Arts specialising in disaster and climate change policy and Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in geography and anthropology. Her studies led her to be drawn to work with a focus on improving people's livelihoods and lived experiences, and she has always worked for charities.
Prior to the Mental Health Foundation, Jenny worked as the volunteer recruitment co-ordinator at Girl Guiding NZ for several years, honing her skills in HR and workplace wellness. Jenny found working with volunteers extremely rewarding and this prompted her to take on a voluntary role with KnowYourStuffNZ, where she is the current volunteer lead. Outside of work Jenny enjoys gardening, dancing, cooking and painting, and lives with two rescued cats, Darling and Cleo.