Jenn O’Connor is Director of Partnerships and Early Childhood Policy for The Education Trust-NY, where she works alongside Raising NY coalition members to set goals for the coalition’s path forward. She also supports Ed Trust-NY’s external relations by ensuring strong relationships with statewide partners.

She previously served at several nonprofits, both state and national, including: as Director of Policy and Advocacy for Prevent Child Abuse New York (PCANY), where she was also Director of the NYS Home Visiting Coordination Initiative (HVCI); as NYS Director of Council for a Strong America; as Senior Associate for the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy; as Senior Analyst for the National Governors Association; and as Director of Legislative Affairs and Education for the National Conference of Insurance Legislators. In addition to a background in early childhood, maternal and child health, mental health, health insurance, and education policy, she has several years of campaign and legislative experience. 

Jenn is currently a board member and policy committee co-chair of New York Zero to Three. She is immediate past co-chair of Winning Beginning New York, as well as former public policy chair for both the NY Association for the Education of Young Children (AEYC) and the NYS Network for Youth Success, and former vice president of the board of PCANY. 

She sits on the Governor’s Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC) and the Governor’s Child Care Availability Task Force. She represents the Empire State Campaign for Child Care on the ECAC.