As executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Inland Empire, Jennifer spearheads efforts and services to combat human trafficking and prevents vulnerable youth from poverty, abuse and victimization through strategic and systematic one-to-one mentoring. Throughout her career, she has consulted, contracted with and worked for various nonprofits to ensure agency success through innovative and outcome-based measures to increase capacity and quality of programs, curriculum, services and funds.

Her leadership in the region has created pipelines and services for underserved youth to reduce child abuse, break cycles of generational poverty and increase academic attainment. She has served as president of the YWCA, founding member of The Pick Group, appointed board member to the Riverside Public Utilities, board member of San Bernardino City Unified School District’s Making Hope Happen Foundation, and the Parkview Community Hospital Foundation.

In addition, Jennifer is a past TedX Riverside speaker and has received numerous accolades from community organizations, including the 2012 Attorney General’s Award of Citizen Appreciation, 2013 Young Alumni Achievement Award from California Baptist University, 2013 Woman of the Year from the Riverside County Commission on Women, 2014 Soroptimist International Ruby Award and Soroptomist International Golden West Region Award, 2014 NAACP Community Service Freedom Award, and 2014 HOPE Collaborative Advocate of the Year Award.

Jennifer earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from California Baptist University, is a certified sexual assault counselor and advocate, graduated from the Riverside Chamber of Commerce 2010 Leadership Class and holds a philanthropy certificate from the Zapara School of Business at La Sierra University. As a wife, mother and mentor, she values the importance of community members investing in the lives of future generations to change a life and bring economic impact to the region.

As chief operating officer, Jessica Romley ensures Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County and the Inland Empire’s one-to-one youth  mentoring program has the resources needed to function at the highest level. She works across departments to analyze trends and outcomes, develop efficiency efforts, create new programs and adhere to national standards and policies.

Her involvement with the agency began in 2008 when she became a mentor to Little Sister Alejandra; in 2017, she was selected as Big Sister of the Year for the state of California. She joined the nonprofit in a professional capacity in July 2013 as director of site-based programs overseeing the growth and development of Workplace Mentoring and High School Bigs. Prior to joining the Big Brothers Big Sisters team, she worked in the program management office at Rockwell Collins and in procurement for Silverado Senior Living.

Jessica has a degree in business finance from California Polytechnic University, Pomona, and earned her Executive MBA at the UC Irvine Paul Merage School of Business. She currently resides in Orange with her husband and three children.