Jen moved to Santa Barbara in 1998 to attend UCSB and has been lucky to call it her permanent home ever since. While at UCSB, Jen earned her BS in Biology and BA in Art Studio. Shortly after, she earned her Master of Public Health in epidemiology at Columbia University. Upon returning to Santa Barbara, Jen worked in program coordination and research at CADA and Direct Relief, before leaving to work at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Michigan. While in Michigan, Jen earned her Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. This brought Jen back to Santa Barbara where she worked as a librarian for the Santa Barbara Public Library. Subsequently, Jen moved to the California State Library where she managed a portfolio of statewide grants ranging from $750k to $15M. Jen and her partner, Greg, are now the co-owners of Chaucer's Books. She currently serves on the board of SB ACT, SBMTD, and Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation and on the City of Santa Barbara's Community Development and Human Services Committee.