Jennifer White
Jen White is the Director, Student Engagement at The Manufacturing Institute, working with manufacturers, schools, and community organizations nationwide to improve the perception of modern manufacturing and increase awareness of the many career pathways available to youth (K-12). Jen leads and manages the national Manufacturing Day event activities and STEM education efforts at the MI.
Previously, Jen was Senior Program Manager for the MI’s Heroes MAKE America initiative where she managed the Fort Campbell mechatronics training program, co-developed and coordinated the Heroes Connect: Military to Manufacturing platform, and worked directly with manufacturers, workforce, and industrial boards to increase recruitment, hiring, and retention of military-connected talent.
Prior to joining the Manufacturing Institute, Jen was Contractor Installation Manager for the U.S. Army Soldier for Life – Transition Assistance Program at Fort Irwin and Presidio of Monterey, California. She built relationships with installation leadership and command teams to provide increased awareness about regulations and program benefits, greatly improving participation and support, thereby reducing veteran unemployment. She partnered with industry representatives and coordinated community-wide employment events, focusing on building career-readiness and improving job opportunities for the Fort Irwin military community.
Jen also has over ten years of experience working with diverse families and youth in public education as a high school teacher, athletic coach, school testing coordinator, and Title I parent involvement coordinator. She was also the system testing coordinator for a school district serving nearly 10,000 students in 14 different schools. Through these positions, Jen worked daily with military and local families and students with diverse needs, developing innovative solutions to better assist them.
Jen holds a Master’s in Education from Mount Vernon Nazarene University and a Bachelor’s in History from The Ohio State University. A proud military spouse from Marion, Ohio, she currently resides in Ohio with her husband and their two children.
