Jenny Stotts serves as Ohio’s first Youth Ombudsman. The Youth and Family Ombudsman Office was created in early 2022 and opened to the public on May 31, 2022, supporting the resolution of complaints submitted by youth involved in the children services system. Stotts was appointed by Governor DeWine to lead the youth team. Previously, Stotts worked as the Executive Director of the Athens County CASA/GAL Program and the Regional Coordinator of CASA in Southeast Ohio, supporting the development of 3 new local programs in the
Appalachian region. Stotts led Athens CASA through a significant period of growth, effectively establishing the program as a leader in Ohio and across the country. Stotts developed a hybrid training program that is now used in 3 states. She was elected and served a 2-year term on the Rural Leadership and National Leadership Councils for National CASA. She served for 4 years as the Chair of Southeast Ohio’s Citizen Review Panel. She was previously an advisory board member of the Appalachian Children Coalition.
Stotts is a licensed social worker and a trauma specialist. She holds degrees in social work and social sciences, with a focus on applied government ethics. She is a graduate of Leading in Appalachia at the Voinovich School for Public Affairs and holds a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. She previously worked in child protection as a caseworker and later as a forensic interviewer. She has extensive experience in crisis intervention and critical communications. She currently volunteers on an international task force to facilitate dialogue in times of high conflict. She worked for several years in workforce preparation as part of Ohio’s University Partnership Program, educating future caseworkers. She is an accomplished speaker and trainer, having presented at events ranging from small community gatherings to international stages in front of thousands. She has given keynote addresses that have been translated into more than a dozen languages. She speaks on child welfare, trauma and resilience, and change management. She spoke with delegations representing 200 countries about the meaningful engagement of volunteers in humanitarian efforts at Rotary’s International Assembly. Her work on resilience and “listening with kindness” has been featured in international publications. She also speaks about her personal experiences as a foster care adoptee and as an adoptive parent.
In addition to her work, Stotts is an active volunteer in the community. She is a charter member and past president of the Athens Sunrise Rotary. She serves as the Rotary Membership Coordinator for Zone 30, supporting approximately 30,000 members. Stotts also volunteers with the Make a Wish Foundation.
She was honored in 2017 as the Ohio University Field Instructor of the Year; 2018 as the Athens County Young Professional of the Year; 2019 “5 under 35” Notable Ohio Alumni; in 2020 as the Athens County Woman of the Year; in 2021 as the Boy Scouts of America’s Outstanding Community Leader; the 2021-2022 Rotarian of the Year; Ohio’s Mary Ellen Social Worker of the Year in 2022; and in 2022, Stotts was recognized by the Adoption Network as the Triad Advocate of the Year.