About Jennifer Cochran

By Jennifer P. Cochran

After completing a graduate program in Mandarin Chinese at Cornell University Jennifer began her career working with private language schools around the world. She transitioned into executive education, working for two business schools developing human resource and organizational behavior programs for senior executives. After completing her MBA she continued to work in the field of human resources and organizational behavior, collaborating with functional leaders to drive business strategy.

Jennifer and her husband, John moved their young family to Manhattan Beach just as their first child was ready to begin kindergarten. She ran a small import business for several years but her primary focus was on her children's education and serving the community of Manhattan Beach. She spent countless hours volunteering in classrooms, running fundraisers and serving in leadership positions in the school district. She served on the Meadows Elementary PTA board for six years, serving two years as President. She has served on the MBEF board, PTA Council, District Advisory Board and as a leader of the PTA Advocacy Team.

Jennifer is still very much invested in MBUSD; Her three children are now in 9th, 7th and 4th grade. She currently holds positions on the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation (MBEF) Executive Board and the Mira Costa High School PTA Board.

Jennifer has worked diligently to advocate for our schools. Over five years she has taken many trips to Sacramento to educate state legislators on the unique challenges facing the Manhattan Beach school district. In 2010 she also helped found the Girls on the Run Chapter in Manhattan Beach, a program that teaches young girls about self-esteem and confidence.

Jennifer is a very thoughtful and rational thinker, skilled at performing objective, insightful financial analyses. She also has extensive experience in organizational dynamics and understands the importance of collaboration, cooperation, succession planning, staff development and the very human side of keeping an organization operating smoothly.

Throughout the last decade, Jennifer has gained a thorough understanding of the complex world of school finance, state and federal education code and organizational structure. This experience will let her `hit the ground running' and immediately address real issues from day one.