Governor Roy Cooper today announced that Jenni Owen has been named to a new position as the first ever Director of Strategic Partnerships.
As Director of Strategic Partnerships, Owen will focus on opportunities for progress on key policy issues. Owen was previously the Governor’s Policy Director, and worked at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University and in the administration of Gov. Jim Hunt.
In the new role, Owen will identify and launch strategic partnerships with people and organizations representing multiple sectors, including philanthropy, non-profit, higher education and research that can collaborate and increase support to North Carolina with research, funding and in-kind commitments. This reflects the Governor’s goal to better leverage the capacity of each of those sectors to support the state’s commitment to make meaningful progress on a range of policy issues.
“Jenni has broad knowledge of North Carolina and the work we have to do to make people’s lives better, and I appreciate her leadership as she steps into this new role for our state,” said Gov. Cooper. “Engaging partners across the state has never been more important, and this need has only grown more critical as we work on priorities, including strengthening education and our workforce, and recovering from devastating hurricanes.”
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