Influential Women Spotlights Jenny Roberts: Executive and External Affairs Assistant at Meals on Wheels San Diego County
San Diego, California — Jenny Roberts is a dedicated community organizer and marine biologist with a strong background in environmental conservation, policy advocacy, and nonprofit leadership. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Marine Biology and a Master’s Degree in Marine Affairs and Policy, she blends scientific expertise with hands-on experience to drive impactful conservation and social justice initiatives.
Early in her career, Jenny worked in Hawaii on whale research and marine conservation efforts, serving as a naturalist and conservation manager. In this role, she focused on marine debris, plastic pollution, and the protection of humpback whale habitats. Her work extended beyond field research into policy advocacy, where she contributed to a Clean Water Act case with the Surfrider Foundation’s Maui Chapter that ultimately reached the Supreme Court, reflecting her early commitment to environmental protection at both local and national levels.
Transitioning her advocacy work into the social justice space, Jenny served as an Executive Assistant in the executive office at Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest. Following the Dobbs decision, she supported senior leadership during a highly complex and rapidly changing policy environment. Her responsibilities included coordinating board affairs, tracking legal developments related to abortion access and gender-affirming care, and supporting organizational priorities during a period of heightened national scrutiny. Her work emphasized resilience, precision, and mission-aligned leadership in a fast-moving and sensitive policy landscape.
Jenny currently serves as the Executive and External Affairs Assistant at Meals on Wheels San Diego County, where she manages C-suite scheduling, supports the Board of Trustees, and assists with fundraising and external engagement initiatives. In this role, she helps strengthen organizational operations while contributing to programs that support food security and dignity for older adults across the region.
Beyond her professional responsibilities, Jenny is a passionate advocate for women’s rights, senior dignity, and environmental stewardship. She is also working on a memoir centered on intimate partner violence, to educate and empower young women through shared experience and awareness.
Jenny attributes her success to remaining mission-driven, consistently advocating with purpose, and collaborating effectively within diverse teams. She believes that meaningful impact comes from aligning personal values with professional work and staying committed to service-oriented goals even in challenging environments.
The best career advice Jenny has received is to find a mission she is truly passionate about, as that passion sustains individuals through the emotional and demanding nature of nonprofit work. She emphasizes the importance of exploring different organizations through volunteering or short-term involvement to better understand alignment, noting that while the work can be deeply rewarding, it can also be emotionally draining without a strong personal connection to the cause.
For young women entering the nonprofit and advocacy fields, Jenny advises being mindful of burnout and intentional about boundary setting. She highlights that emotionally charged work requires balance, self-awareness, and sustainable self-care practices to remain effective and avoid exhaustion over time.
The values most important to Jenny in both her professional and personal life include mission-driven advocacy, honoring the dignity of others, effective collaboration, and resilience supported by intentional self-care. She believes these principles are essential not only for sustaining long-term impact, but also for maintaining personal well-being while serving others.
In her free time, Jenny enjoys spending time by the ocean, maintaining a lifelong connection to the marine environment that first inspired her career. Her work continues to reflect a deep commitment to conservation, community service, and advancing equitable outcomes for both people and the planet.
Learn More about Jenny Roberts:
Through her Influential Women profile: https://influentialwomen.com/connect/Jenny-Roberts
Influential Women
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