Jennifer Lester became YouthLaunch's first Development Specialist in October of 2007. She grew up in the Midwest and earned a BA in Political Science from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. While in Nebraska she gained experience working with grassroots organizations focusing on community involvement and community policing.

After moving to Illinois in 2001 she became involved with a political action committee addressing the disparities in public school funding and running school bond referendum campaigns. She also served as Vice-President of the 2nd largest Parent-Teacher Association in the state, serving nearly 1,800 children. Jennifer now lives in Pflugerville with her husband Rich and three children: Jonathon, Sydney and Ben.