Today, we’re putting the spotlight on Jen Pavkov, Marketing and PR Manager here at the Women’s Fund of Omaha. Before joining the Women’s Fund in 2015, she was the Creative Director at Heartland Family Service.
As the Marketing and PR Manager, Jen is responsible for leveraging the Women’s Fund brand through marketing, public relations, advertising, and social media. Jen holds a bachelor of fine arts degree from Columbia College with an emphasis in painting and drawing and a minor in psychology. She is passionate about solving problems through creativity and hard work.
We sat with Jen and asked her a few questions about her experience at the Women’s Fund, and what she likes to do outside of work.
What’s your favorite part of working for the Women’s Fund?
I really love the work that I do. What could be better than using creativity to support work that’s making this community a better place for women and girls? I also get to be surrounded by some of the most brilliant women while doing it, which is a huge bonus.
Describe the Women’s Fund in 3 words.
Bold. Progressive. Collaborative.
Best thing about living/working in Omaha?
I don’t live in Nebraska, but enjoy the best of both worlds by working in Omaha. I have great friends in Omaha, and I enjoy the shopping, dining, and art scene this city offers.
When you’re not working, what’s your favorite thing to do?
Spending time with my husband and our children. For me, being a parent is the most amazing experience and sharing the experience with my incredible partner is everything to me. Other than that, I’m very creative and am driven to create something every day. Luckily my job usually scratches that itch, but I stay busy with creative projects outside of work too. I love doing creative things with my kids.
What’s one goal you hope to accomplish within the next year?
I’m getting ready to go on maternity leave. So, the goal that’s at the most forefront of my mind right now is planning and preparing to be out of the office. Beyond that, I’m very excited about our recent re-branding efforts and I am focused on breathing life into that throughout 2017 as we continue to implement and leverage it throughout all our work.
What’s the most interesting or unusual job you’ve ever had?
The first job I ever had was walking beans. It’s unusual because it’s a practice that no longer exists because technology has changed farming so much. But growing up in rural southwest Iowa, it was a great way to make some money. For anyone who’s not familiar with what it is, you literally walk through every row in a soybean field with either a machete or a bean hook and manually cut down all the weeds. It’s hard work–long hours, it’s hot, wet, and there’s lots of bugs–not to mention the beans are way taller than you’d think. They kind of cut your skin up as you walk through them.
What are you reading or listening to these days?
I’ve never been very interested in reading books consistently. Although I do read to my kids every night. I’m more of a news and information junkie, so I’m always reading news stories and listening to NPR. Anyone who knows me also knows that I generally have Bob Dylan in my ear, but I love all kinds of music from opera to country.
If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would you like to see cast as you?
Who would I like to see play me, or who would be most likely to play me? HAHA! It would likely be a toss-up between DJ Tanner, Danny DeVito and Pee Wee Herman. Studious, but darkly humorous, sardonic, weird and unexpected all at the same time.