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Photo of Jennifer Roller<\/p>\n
Jennifer Roller can pinpoint moments that have served as guideposts in her professional life. And they all involve people. From a YSU professor who invited her to sit on a national conference panel to the former supervisor who encouraged her to reframe her work strengths, Roller remembers people who have flipped a switch to help her advance her career.
\n\u201cEven with this position,\u201d said Roller, president of The Raymond John Wean Foundation in Warren, Ohio, \u201cit wasn\u2019t something I planned to pursue.\u201d It took others in the organization who recognized Roller\u2019s potential before she did.
\n\u201cHaving someone open you up to an opportunity like that \u2013 it\u2019s the kind of force I try so hard to be for others now.\u201d
\nRoller\u2019s commitment has been the driving force behind her success in many previous positions, but especially in the last year and a half as the leader of a $70 million foundation.
\nGraduating with a bachelor\u2019s degree in Psychology and a master\u2019s in Education, both from YSU, Roller started her career as a case manager in Youngstown. The first role she felt at home with, however, was back at the university for 10 years as director of the Upward Bound and SCOPE college prep programs.
\n\u201cI loved working at YSU because it was such a good fit for me,\u201d said Roller. \u201cI realize now that my personal purpose has always been to serve as a resource to others, so it was very much aligned with Upward Bound\u2019s mission to open the door to higher education for high school students.\u201d
\nFinding an authentic fit with an organization has always been central for Roller, and her next career stop was no exception. In 2007 she became program officer at the Wean Foundation, moving up to vice president in 2013 and president a year later. She is now charged with upholding the Foundation\u2019s vision of empowered residents creating a healthy, vibrant, equitable and economically stable Mahoning Valley.
\nA staple to the Warren and Youngstown communities for nearly 70 years, the Wean Foundation maintains a strong focus on community revitalization and economic and educational opportunity in the Valley. With a total of $2.2 million in grants distributed each year to local organizations, Roller says the goal is to not only fund projects but to also be a resource to communities as they build their infrastructure and leadership capacities.
\n\u201cThe Wean Foundation shows up in the Valley in an impactful way,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are very deliberate and intentional about the work we do.\u201d
\nOne initiative that\u2019s been Roller\u2019s baby since 2008 is the Neighborhood SUCCESS and Leadership program. The effort trains resident leaders from Warren and Youngstown in aspects of community building with the goal of getting them more involved in local decision-making processes. With more than $1 million put on the ground in seven short years for projects like block watch clean ups, after school programs and enrichment activities, Roller says residents now have the opportunity to contribute more directly to their communities and play at the same table with local leadership.
\nAlong with strengthening strategic partnerships with Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative, Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. and Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership, Roller has made sure the Foundation remains rooted to its mission.
\n\u201cI want to stay thoughtful about where I am in the present,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m part of a truly amazing team and try to be the best resource I can be for people. I\u2019m energized by that type of work here.\u201d
\nRoller lives in Liberty Township with her husband, Jason, and their son, Trey, who starts his first year at Thiel College this fall.
\nProfile by Andrea Tharp
\n(Previously published in YSU Magazine, Fall 2015)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Photo of Jennifer Roller Jennifer Roller can pinpoint moments that have served as guideposts in her professional life. And they all involve people. From a YSU professor who invited her to sit on a national conference panel to the former supervisor who encouraged her to reframe her work strengths, Roller remembers people who have flipped […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":46,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-240","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n