Jeanette Reynolds has nearly 20 years of experience in program management and organizational development, with a passion for strategic planning and community engagement. She has worked in a diversity of roles to strengthen the impact and visibility of multiple nonprofits, designing systems and tools for greater efficiency while building effective teams through daring leadership.
As Communications & Applications Director at Smith NMTC Associates, LLC, Jeanette serves as an integral member of the core New Markets Tax Credits (NMTCs) allocation application team. The St. Louis-based company works with mission-driven organizations throughout the country to develop creative financial models and structures for projects that bring affordable homeownership and community facilities and services to low-income communities and their residents. Her multifaceted role encompasses supporting business development initiatives, cultivating client relationships, ensuring compliance, managing impact data, and crafting communication pieces.
Jeanette first engaged in issues related to equitable housing access as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Fiji, where she managed programs and partnerships for a project focused on providing secure housing for families displaced by natural disasters and conflict. Her work connected residents with economic and educational opportunities.
While earning a master's degree in gender & development from the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, Jeanette focused on research related to female-headed households, social capital, and collective efficacy. She has also earned a bachelor's degree in communication from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College and holds a professional certificate in nonprofit management from the San Antonio Area Foundation in partnership with Our Lady of the Lake University.
Dedicated to making positive impacts both professionally and personally, Jeanette is passionate about supporting the ACLU of Missouri's vital work to protect democracy in the Show Me State. She also volunteers with Welcome Neighbor STL and St. Louis Art Place initiative.
Jeanette hails from the mountains and valleys of rural Virginia, where she grew up working on the family livestock farm, and once held the title of Outstanding Hog Showman at the Shenandoah County Fair. She spends as much time as she can exploring the forests and rivers of Missouri through hiking, camping, and kayaking.