Betsy Penisten
Manager, Communications & Fund Development
Betsy serves as the Manager of Communications & Fund Development for JPEF. Betsy was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa, where she attended public schools and spent many August days in her mom’s kindergarten classroom helping to prepare for the first day of school. Betsy credits her public school experience for her love of reading and writing. She graduated from the University of Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Political Science. As a student, Betsy worked as a reporter and News Director at KRUI 89.7FM where she covered local and national news, including the Iowa Caucuses. In addition, she interned for U.S. Congressman Dave Loebsack, gaining experience in advocacy and community engagement, and volunteered for UNESCO City of Literature’s One Book, Two Book Festival where she donned costumes of children’s book characters and read books to kids.
After graduation, Betsy served in Iowa AmeriCorps 4H Outreach at the Iowa Department of Human Rights, where she coordinated the State of Iowa Youth Advisory Council (SIYAC). As an AmeriCorps member, she coordinated SIYAC’s advocacy efforts for a variety of issues affecting young people in Iowa, including education, health, and mental health. In 2018, with SIYAC’s support, the Iowa Legislature passed SF2118, which requires suicide prevention and adverse childhood experiences training for school employees across the state.
Upon completion of her AmeriCorps service, Betsy joined the Iowa Department of Human Rights full-time as a Program Planner where she coordinated the National Youth in Transition Database, a federal initiative that collects outcomes information on youth in foster care to inform policy improvements. She continued her volunteer work coaching a little league team at North Des Moines Girls Softball, and as an application assistant at Justice for Our Neighbor’s Green Card Clinic. Betsy’s work at the Iowa Department of Human Rights lead to her passion for youth development, community engagement, and advocacy.
Prior to moving to Florida, Betsy joined Iowa Homeless Youth Centers (IHYC) as the Development Coordinator and gained valuable nonprofit experience in fund development, event planning, and communications. She considers one of her greatest achievements to be planning IHYC’s annual holiday giving event, where she matched more than 200 youth and families with a sponsor for the holidays. Since calling Jacksonville home in 2019, Betsy has worked for local nonprofits including Pace Center for Girls and First Coast No More Homeless Pets.
She currently resides in downtown Jacksonville with her husband, Mike, and their two dogs, Jovie and Lillie. On any given weekend, you can find Betsy and her family catching a live Jazz show, checking out a new restaurant, or getting some fresh air on a bike trail or at the beach.