Jenese Jones Oden
Jenese Jones Oden has been a staunch advocate for equality through the lens of educational, political advocacy, and community development for over nineteen years. A 7th generation Marylander, she has a sincere passion for empowering and equipping underserved populations through leadership development and targeted skill-building opportunities. After graduating from Clark Atlanta University, she spent two years as a Teach for America Corps member in Saint Louis, Missouri and committed ten additional years to serving our nation’s youth on the front lines as an inspirational educator and change agent for at-risk youth. Jenese’s commitment to eradicating educational inequity has fueled her leadership roles over the last decade. She served as the executive director of MarylandCAN and was a policy advisor fellow in the U.S. Department of Education (ED) under Secretary Arne Duncan. Jenese enjoys literacy and is a certified Orton Gillingham Instructor and supports students with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and executive function challenges.
Her leadership extends to serving on the board of Capital Village Public Charter School in Washington, DC. She is excited to join the Reading Partners team.