Jennifer Simon

Jennifer Simon is an accomplished Program Manager at the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) since October 2019, where responsibilities include managing business and entrepreneurship grants, overseeing a portfolio of 280 grants valued at over $275M, and promoting small business development in Appalachia. Prior to ARC, Jennifer served as the Executive Director of the Regional Innovation Network at Ohio University, leading a successful tech incubator and managing an $800K annual budget. Jennifer's experience also includes working as a Director at the State of Ohio Development Finance Advisory Council, where business loans were approved for job creation, and as the President and CEO of the Athens Economic Development/Chamber of Commerce, overseeing a 200-member chamber. Jennifer holds an MBA and has two additional degrees from Ohio University, including a Master's in Public Administration focused on Fiscal and Policy Analysis.