Jennifer Martin grew up in Colorado Springs, attended Air Academy High School and then Colorado College, where she received a B.A. in History in ‘75. In ’76 she married a CC grad and moved to CA for husband Jim to attend Santa Clara Law School. Jennifer worked as a dental assistant, and then as a bookkeeper for a law firm to put him through school. After law school they moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where she worked at an insurance brokerage before trading “office work” for full-time motherhood for their 3 children. 1991 found them transferred to San Marino, CA where she worked part-time as the secretary to the Docent Council of the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena, while taking online classes through UCLA to get her College Counseling Certificate. She then worked at San Marino High School in the College and Career Center. In 2003, her family was once again relocated, this time to Pittsburgh, PA. In July of 2022 Jennifer and Jim moved back to Colorado to eventually retire - although not right away.
Jennifer considers herself to be a “professional volunteer”, specializing in fund raising. While in San Marino she worked on and chaired fund raisers for her children’s schools, for the Pasadena KidSpace Childrens’ Museum, and the San Marino School District where she chaired the annual San Marino Schools Foundation Annual Campaign. She even chaired the 2003 San Marino Grad Night. Her leadership roles have included teaching dental health to Spanish speaking 1st Graders for the Jr. League, National Charity League, PTA President, Cub Scout leader, Girl Scout leader, and manager of her son’s club soccer team. She is the proud mother of an Eagle Boy Scout.
Jennifer joined the ARCS Pittsburgh Chapter in 2006 where she served as Program Chair, Assistant Treasurer, and Treasurer (working with Colorado’s own Lise Woodard!). She served as Co-President of the Pittsburgh ARCS chapter in 2018-2020 and also served on the ARCS National Information Systems Committee and the ARCS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.
Now living in Littleton, Jennifer looks forward to reconnecting with friends and family on the western side of the country, and to having the time to travel, ski, read, hike, bike, and visit their children; their first grandchild was born this year at the end of July! Jennifer and Jim look forward to making new friends in the Denver area, and to getting involved with ARCS Colorado. Two of their three children are in scientific fields - and scientific research saved their third child. Needless to say, science is near and dear to them!