Executive Director: Jennie Mauer
JennieM@WHSAonline.org
Jennie Mauer became Executive Director of the Wisconsin Head Start Association (WHSA) in 2020, providing steady leadership through the challenges of the pandemic and navigating the organization through a period of transition following several leadership changes. In this role, she oversees WHSA’s mission to support and strengthen Head Start and Early Head Start programs that serve over 16,000 of Wisconsin’s most vulnerable children across all 72 counties.
With a Master’s degree in Public Affairs from the La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies and French, Mauer brings a strong foundation in public policy and advocacy to her position. Her educational background supports WHSA’s work in advocacy, policy development, and building strategic alliances to benefit Wisconsin’s Head Start community.
Before joining WHSA, she served as the Head Start Collaboration Director at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. In this role, Mauer established crucial connections between Head Start grantees and state initiatives, fostering relationships that continue to strengthen the comprehensive services that make Head Start’s dual-generation approach effective. This experience provided her with deep insights into the Head Start model of supporting both children and families through education, health services, social services, and parent engagement.
Under her leadership, WHSA continues its commitment to the Head Start philosophy that parents are their children’s first and most important teachers. Mauer guides the organization’s efforts to provide training, leadership development, and advocacy support to the 39 Head Start and Early Head Start grantees throughout Wisconsin.
When not advancing the mission of Head Start, she resides in Madison, Wisconsin, where she enjoys exploring with her daughters, Charlotte and Violet, and her husband Raja. Her passion for education extends beyond her professional role, as she also teaches canoeing and kayaking to both children and adults in her community.
