Jennie has a background that includes nursing, teaching, and entrepreneurship. Her career started working as.an obstetrical nurse and then as an Evening & Night Supervisor at Norfolk General Hospital, in Simcoe. Following that, she went on to be the Director of Nursing Oxford Nursing Service and to VON as a Community nurse and moved on to the Director of Homemaking Services and the Alzheimer programmes. At the Brantwood Centre as Health Care Manager , one of her important tasks was to ensure people supported in the community received quality health care.
As a Professor at Fanshawe College, she has taught in the DSW and 55W programmes and coordinated and taught the PSW programme. Through Fanshawe, Jennie has also taught several courses at Six Nations Reserve.
She has also been involved with and hopefully contributed to, many community Boards and committees including: District Health Council, Respite Ontario, MS Society, Delhi & Norfolk Library Boards, Ministry of Health & Long Term Care, Canadian Mental Health Association, Delhi Youth Committee, Delhi Community Health Care Center, Community Living Access Support Services, Norfolk Hospital Nursing Home Volunteer Association, Women’s Institute, Community Addiction & Mental Health Services, and the Little School ( daycare ) Board. Her involvement has included fundraising, writing policies & procedures, developing courses, advocating, and guiding and assisting self-advocates.
As a family member of a child with disabilities, advocacy and community involvement have been of the utmost importance. Jennie truly believes that advancing inclusion, creating a sense of belonging, and being an integral part of the community through advocacy, needs to be ongoing in order for us all to celebrate the community that Community Living Ontario envisions.
