Content Expert: Gender Pay Gap, Paid Family & Medical Leave, Public Policy, Women in Leadership
As executive director of the Women’s Fund of, Jo leads the organization’s work to address gender-based inequities in our community through collaboration that identifies, researches and creates solutions to advance, educate and fund lasting impact. These efforts align with the Women’s Fund values—equity, bold impact, collaboration, community voice, intersectionality, bodily autonomy—and is executed in coordination with 11full-time staff members.
Before joining the team, Jo was the Policy and Training Director for the Coalition for a Strong Nebraska (CSN), where she created training sessions for members and others in the nonprofit sector, to be able to participate more fully in the public policy advocacy process. She is also an award-winning media relations professional and journalist, and was a television reporter/anchor for Omaha’s KPTM Fox 42 News.
Jo has a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia, a bachelor’s degree in psychology and African American studies from Washington University in St. Louis, and a certificate in public health from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Jo enjoys community service and is the current board member of several organizations including Children’s Physicians, Omaha Community Foundation and Omaha Public Library Foundation. She was a member of Leadership Omaha Class 37 and 2012 recipient of the Midlands Business Journal 40 under 40 Award. In her spare time, Jo is an avid reader, enjoys running and spending time with her family, including her husband, their son and doodle.