Mahoning Valley College Access Program recently welcomed Gerri Jenkins as its new executive director. She will lead the nonprofit organization’s efforts to improve access to higher education for students in the Mahoning Valley.
Jenkins brings extensive experience in post-secondary education. She had been director of the office of counseling and career services at Ursuline College in Pepper Pike for nearly 19 years. In that role she worked with students on professional development and successful job search strategies. She has been an instructor at Ursuline, Notre Dame College and Youngstown State University for more than 20 years.
She received her bachelor of arts degree in communications with an emphasis in telecommunications and her master of business administration degree with a concentration in marketing from Youngstown State University. She also holds an Education Specialist degree in Higher Education Administration and Student Personnel from Kent State University.
Jenkins is replacing former director Lita Willis, who, during her seven years with MVCAP, secured funding to expand the program’s services across the Mahoning Valley. Wills increased grant and fee-for-service revenue, maintained a 50 percent college enrollment rate and established baseline tracking for technical and military programs and for workforce development. She also initiated MVCAP’s first fundraiser, the annual Progressive Dinner, which takes place in downtown Warren in the fall.
“Gerri’s years in higher education will be a tremendous asset to MVCAP and the students and families we serve,” said Denise Glinatsis Bayer, president of the MVCAP board, and a lawyer with Harrington, Hoppe & Mitchell. “She knows the processes and procedures that shape access to post-graduate programs and has developed relationships that will be helpful to advancing MVCAP’s work.
“We would like to thank Lita for all of her hard work and for steering this ship in the right direction. We wouldn’t be where we are today without her.”
The Mahoning Valley College Access Program is a nonprofit organization that provides college access services to students in the Mahoning Valley. It was formed in 2001 and began providing services in 2002, with a mission to increase the number of students attending college or post-secondary education. It concentrates its efforts in Warren and Youngstown city schools and has provided one-on-one college advising, financial aid counseling and admissions assistance to more than 8,000 students across the Valley.
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