Candidate: Jen Mitchell

My name is Jen Mitchell and I have had the honor and privilege to serve on the Collier County School Board since 2018.  I am a local realtor, and mother of four. Three of my children have graduated from Collier County Public Schools (CCPS), while my youngest is currently a junior in high school.  I was born and raised in Lafayette, Indiana, and earned my BA from Purdue University in Elementary Education. After graduation, my husband and I moved to Naples, his hometown, where I taught for a year at Naples Park Elementary. After our first child was born, I put my career on hold to raise our family. 

I have always been passionate about education, and as a mostly stay-at-home mom, I spent the past 18 years volunteering in my children’s classrooms and serving on their schools’ PTO boards and SAC committees.  In  2011, I was invited, along with other parent volunteers throughout CCPS, to join the Superintendent’s District Advisory Council, created to increase parental involvement and improve communication with the District. 

As a result of these activities, I was asked to participate in the Champions for Learning Connect Now Project, a series of workshops that led to what became the CCPS Strategic Plan.  I was proud to be among the parents, educators, and community members who developed the Connect Now vision for our school district. 

In 2014, I began my second career, as a Realtor, and am currently with Domain Realty Group of Southwest Florida. The quality of our schools is often the first thing clients new to the area ask about, as it directly affects property values. My role as a local businesswoman, combined with my years as a CCPS parent, volunteer, and school board member has heightened my understanding of the importance of great public schools. 

We have accomplished a lot since 2018, but there is still work to be done.  I am committed to continue helping strengthen our A-rated school district.  We need a school board that will continue to set politics and personal agendas aside, collaborate, and focus on the nearly 48,000 students who are counting on us to get it right. 

I ask for your vote on August 23rd, 2022. It would be an honor to continue to represent you on the Collier County School Board.