Jennifer Vigne Interview

Beth Chesterton welcomes Jennifer Vigne to the ABC to CEO “Preparing for the Possibility” Podcast. Jennifer Vigne is the President and CEO of the Education Foundation of Sarasota County. She has won numerous awards and is the perfect person to provide advice for young women with great aspirations!

In this episode, Jennifer shares a wealth of knowledge about reaching your potential, finding your passion and striving for excellence, not perfection. Tune in to be inspired and ready to tackle what comes next!

About Jennifer Vigne, M. Ed., CFRE:

Jennifer Vigne is a fifth-generation Floridian whose love for her community and state runs deep and long. She is committed to strengthening Sarasota County and passionately believes that education has the power to change lives and contribute to the community’s prosperity. Guided by a strong value system, Jennifer believes that all students can learn and succeed and thereby participate in their own personal and professional growth as well as the community’s success.

Jennifer joined the Education Foundation of Sarasota County in November 2015 as Executive Director and was appointed President in January 2017 and Chief Executive Officer in 2019. She brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in the nonprofit and corporate sectors. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Florida State University, a master’s in Educational Leadership from University of South Florida, and she is a Certified Fundraising Executive.

As an avid advocate for the principle that the strength of a community lies in each person’s ability and willingness to give generously with the best skills, talents and resources they can offer, Jennifer demonstrates her desire to make meaningful impact through her community and statewide service. She currently serves as Membership Chair for the Florida Consortium of Education Foundations, a statewide membership organization focused on building the capacity and effectiveness of local education foundations. She is immediate past board chair of Tiger Bay Club of Sarasota County, a forum to promote community understanding of current political and social issues through public discourse and the free exchange of ideas. A graduate of and class representative for Leadership Florida Education Class IV, Jennifer also is a graduate of Leadership Manatee, Leadership Sarasota, and the Gulf Coast Leadership Institute. She is a member of the International Women’s Forum, Sarasota Women’s Alliance member and past member of the Sarasota County Commission Human Services Advisory Council, past president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Southwest Florida Chapter, past executive member of the AFP Florida Caucus, and is a recipient of the Sarasota Chamber Impact in Action Leadership award and the SRQ Women in Business Leadership award.

Jennifer enjoys spending time with her husband of 28 years, participating in sports fitness, hiking the great outdoors or boating the Florida waterways. They are blessed with three grown children and most particularly love their dog, Finley.