In This Episode:
Shaping Greater Peoria Through Giving
Jennifer Zammuto, President of the Heart of Illinois United Way, has always had a talent for connecting people with the tools and resources they need. From her early days in marketing with LR Nelson, Converse Marketing and Caterpillar Inc. to managing the Caterpillar Foundation, Jennifer’s career was built around being a good communicator and knowing how to recognize the needs of those around her. At United Way, she uses that experience to ensure that charitable donations are allocated to causes with the greatest return on investment and outcome from the program.
Jennifer was raised in the suburbs of Chicago, and initially moved to Peoria to pursue a career opportunity and intended to stay six months tops. But as she grew to know the Greater Peoria community, she realized that the region is an excellent place to stay. She eventually transitioned her career into the nonprofit space to further improve her new hometown.
Jennifer became involved in the Choose Greater Peoria movement because she values the organization’s goal of making the community a better place to live, raise a family and work. Her talent for discovering what people or entities need and connecting them with resources to help, aligned perfectly with the collaborative effort to move the region forward.
In this episode, Jennifer shares stories of experiences throughout her career, the role of United Way and the importance of thinking about charitable donations with more than just your heart. She also shares her thoughts on the Choose Greater Peoria movement and the value of leaders taking accountability to help the community thrive.
“Business can’t fix all the problems. Government can’t fix all the problems. Educational institutions can’t fix all the problems. Nonprofits can’t do it. But when we come together, we can say, ‘OK, these problems are complicated and they’re big and they need everybody at the table bringing their own special skill.’”
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About Jennifer Zammuto
Jennifer Zammuto, President of Heart of Illinois United Way started her career in international exports and marketing including advertising, corporate communications and public relations before transitioning into philanthropic work. Her unique background brings corporate processes and a customer focus to her work today.
Fluent in French, Jennifer studied at Northern Illinois University and Universite d’Avignon and worked in Europe during her early career. She also earned an executive Master of Business Administration from Bradley University.
An active community member, she served on almost every committee at the Heart of Illinois United Way before accepting the role of President in 2018. Previously, she was a member of Downtown Rotary and the Center for Prevention of Abuse Board. Currently, Jennifer serves on the Greater Peoria EDC Governing Board, LISC Central Illinois Board, Choose Greater Peoria, CEO Council, Regional Workforce Alliance, the Health Care Collaborative, the Tri County Partnership for a Healthy Community and more. She’s the proud recipient of the Women of Influence award from Peoria Magazine and was honored by the Junior League of Peoria as an Empowering Woman.
Jennifer and her family are long-time residents of Greater Peoria enjoying all the benefits the area provides. Connect with Jennifer on LinkedIn.