IPMW Staff
Jennifer C. Jackson, Executive Director. Jennifer has held leadership positions in several North Carolina and New York City nonprofits over the past 26 years in the areas of the arts, community development, victim services, human rights, and spiritual activism. Prior organizations include Safe Horizon, where she served in senior leadership roles including Vice President for Human Resources, after directing Joining Forces, a project on Public-Private Partnerships in Victim Assistance funded by the US Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime. She has worked as an organizational development consultant, coach and trainer for nonprofits and groups across the country, and as a facilitator and presenter for conferences including the NC Center for Nonprofits Annual Conference.
Jennifer believes deeply in the power of forgiveness to transform hearts and minds and is committed to work that creates a more inclusive and just society. She is a member of the 2019/2020 Omega Institute Juno Leadership Collective and has served on the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation’s Community Leadership Council, the Oberlin College Alumni Leadership Council, the Pickard’s Mountain Eco-Institute's Advisory Council, and the NCCIW Raleigh Unit’s Community Resource Council. Jennifer received undergraduate degrees from Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music, her master’s degree from Indiana University, and was ordained as an Interfaith Minister from One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in New York City. She enjoys reading, the arts and performing in local theater, and is an avid meditation and yoga practitioner.
Jennifer believes deeply in the power of forgiveness to transform hearts and minds and is committed to work that creates a more inclusive and just society. She is a member of the 2019/2020 Omega Institute Juno Leadership Collective and has served on the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation’s Community Leadership Council, the Oberlin College Alumni Leadership Council, the Pickard’s Mountain Eco-Institute's Advisory Council, and the NCCIW Raleigh Unit’s Community Resource Council. Jennifer received undergraduate degrees from Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music, her master’s degree from Indiana University, and was ordained as an Interfaith Minister from One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in New York City. She enjoys reading, the arts and performing in local theater, and is an avid meditation and yoga practitioner.
Shanae Artis, Mentor and Outreach Manager. Shanae is a graduate of Bryant & Stratton Community College. Since relocating to North Carolina in 2014, she has been actively working with non-profit organizations such as Dress for Success to teach women how to become self-sufficient. Shanae brings her experience in leadership, creating curricula and building partnerships to the IPMW team. Shanae grew up in New York and is a member of the Christian church. She enjoys reading, singing and spending time with her daughter.
Mindy Farren, Duke Divinity School Intern. Mindy has a background in corporate training and earned a BS in Human Resource Management from WGU. She also spent seven years working as a preschool teacher. Most recently, she was a Licensed Local Pastor in the United Methodist Church, and served as pastor for two rural churches in Southern Illinois prior to enrolling in the Master of Divinity program at Duke Divinity School. She is a rising third year student who became focused on prison ministry during her second semester at DDS and is currently pursuing ministry certificates in prison studies and Black Church Studies. She is excited to be spend her summer working with Interfaith Prison Ministry for Women.
Sarah Jobe, Chaplain. Rev. Jobe is an ordained Baptist minister. She studied religious studies at the University of Virginia, received her Master’s in Divinity from Duke University Divinity School, and is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in practical theology from Duke University Divinity School. Sarah has served as a chaplain at the NCCIW Raleigh Unit since 2011, and she has taught theology courses there since 2009.
Sarah is passionate about creating pathways toward success for incarcerated people, and she has served on a nation-wide study through the Association of Theological Schools and a state-wide NCDPS Commission on Post-Secondary Education in Prison, both commissions that are dedicated to advancing opportunities for incarcerated people to pursue their educational goals. Sarah serves on the Advisory Committee of the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab and the Professional Advisory Group of the Clinical Pastoral Education Program at the Durham VA. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Durham where she gardens in her spare time (her garden is in the shape of a labyrinth in honor of a project that she did with women at the Raleigh Unit creating canvas labyrinths still used in the Hope Center!) Sarah is the author of Creating with God: The Holy Confusing Blessedness of Pregnancy.
Sarah is passionate about creating pathways toward success for incarcerated people, and she has served on a nation-wide study through the Association of Theological Schools and a state-wide NCDPS Commission on Post-Secondary Education in Prison, both commissions that are dedicated to advancing opportunities for incarcerated people to pursue their educational goals. Sarah serves on the Advisory Committee of the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab and the Professional Advisory Group of the Clinical Pastoral Education Program at the Durham VA. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Durham where she gardens in her spare time (her garden is in the shape of a labyrinth in honor of a project that she did with women at the Raleigh Unit creating canvas labyrinths still used in the Hope Center!) Sarah is the author of Creating with God: The Holy Confusing Blessedness of Pregnancy.
Cherisse Kendrick, Bookkeeping Assistant. Cherisse has been working with non-profit organizations since graduating from Frostburg State University with a BS in Business Administration. Originally from Baltimore, MD, Cherisse's prior employment included serving the underserved communities in a healthcare setting. She is excited to have found a ministry since relocating to North Carolina, where she can continue to helping others in need. In her spare time, she enjoys her role of caring for and spending time with her family, volunteering at her childrens' schools through PTA, watching movies and attending functions at her church.
Leanne Wells, Office Manager. Leanne is a graduate of Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena, CA. She has a B.A. in Human Development, minoring in Early Childhood Education and Development, with an overarching focus in social change, anti-bias approach, and advocacy. She has worked as a home visitor with Head Start, been a recruiter in the childcare industry, and worked in the daycare on SAS Campus in Cary, NC.
She is excited to be a part of Interfaith Prison Ministry for Women and continuing her passion of supporting others as they work to strengthen, grow, and thrive in their communities. She loves to read, and among her favorite authors are: Dr. Clarisa Pinkola Estes, Myles Horton, and E.L. Konigsburg. She has four children, and enjoys being outside, painting, drawing and writing, and is a budding stained glass artist. |