Jennifer O’Brien

Jen joined PCA in 2024 as the Director of Advancement Operations, based in Alexandria, VA just outside Washington, DC. Jen has spent her entire career working within the nonprofit sector and has specific expertise in nonprofit and fundraising operations and finance, learning and development, and programs development.

Before joining PCA, Jen served as a Senior Director and the inaugural Supervising Director of Talent Development and DEI at Elevate, a consulting firm working with nonprofit clients to build their institutional fundraising programs.

Prior to Elevate, Jen worked for the Middle East Children’s Institute, a small organization operating in Jordan and Palestine focused on empowering women and girls financially and to have access to education at all levels. Jen also served as the Project Manager for the Bringing Theory to Practice project, a national initiative in higher education focused on student civic engagement and well-being for 11 years, while simultaneously managing the S. Engelhard Center, a small philanthropic foundation dedicated to helping youth maximize their potential.

Jen earned a Masters degree of Public Policy with a concentration in Philosophy and Social Policy, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Women’s Studies from The George Washington University in Washington, DC. She also has a Certificate in Executive Nonprofit Management from Georgetown University.