Jennifer White-Reid, Esq.

Jennifer White-Reid, Esq. has dedicated her career of more than two decades to the empowerment and wellbeing of underserved individuals and families. As the Chief of Staff & Senior Advisor to the CEO, she serves as a thought partner and senior advisor, helping catalyze efficient collaboration across the administrative, programmatic, funding, and policy agendas. She also helps inform and implement strategic priorities and manages the workflow of the CEO’s office, as well as engage with the Board of Trustees. Jennifer helps advance the URI core values of transparency, diversity, equity, accessibility, inclusion, and a mission-centric focus through internal and external communications and collaboration. 

Jennifer brings her expertise and experience in leadership, management, and advocacy, most recently as URI’s Senior Vice President of Domestic Violence Residential and Legal Programs, where she helped create, launch, and lead URI’s pioneering People and Animals Living Safely (PALS), which has become a nationally recognized program. Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2023, URI PALS remains the only New York City program allowing domestic violence survivors and pets to stay together and heal together, while delivering training and tech assistance to service providers across the U.S. and beyond. Prior to the SVP role, Jennifer served as the Director of URI’s Legal Education and Advocacy Program (LEAP), which she created in 2006 to ensure that survivors of domestic violence residing in shelter had access to free legal assistance. 

Jennifer’s career has been devoted to ensuring that the most vulnerable in society have access to justice, services, and support. Prior to joining URI, she served as a Senior Staff Attorney at South Brooklyn Legal Services where she represented individuals impacted by domestic violence in matrimonial, family court and immigration proceedings. 

Jennifer has spoken publicly about intimate partner violence throughout her career and has served on various boards and committees. She currently serves as the Co-Chair of the NYC Coalition of Domestic Violence Residential Providers and is a former Board member of the NYS Coalition Against Domestic Violence. 

Jennifer obtained her bachelor’s degree in psychology and a Certificate in Executive Leadership in the Not-for-Profit Sector from New York University. She is a proud graduate of Fordham University School of Law, where she was a Stein Scholar. Jennifer was honored with the 2003 Stein Scholars Public Service Alumni Award and the 2019 Louis J. Lefkowitz Public Service Award and recognized by Fordham’s Black Law Students Association during Black History Month as a trailblazer in 2019 and 2022.  Jennifer was also honored as an Advocate of New York City in 2020 by the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence. In 2023 Jennifer was recognized by City & State New York as an Above and Beyond Innovator and listed as a Power Players Rising by PoliticsNY and amNY.