Special Olympics Florida
Jackie Dryden, JD has a diverse work experience spanning over two decades. Jackie began their career as an Attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice, where they defended the federal government's position in immigration cases. Following this, they worked at the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA as an Administrative Director/Donor Information Specialist, managing human resources, accounts payable, and branch management.
In 2010, Jackie became the Director of Development at the Homeless Empowerment Program, where they successfully executed stewardship events and implemented fundraising strategies to support people experiencing homelessness.
Jackie then joined PARC, Inc. as the Chief Advancement Officer, reestablishing the annual meeting and securing funding for Project SEARCH, a school-to-work internship program.
In 2016, Jackie assumed the position of Director of Advancement at Dawning Family Services, where they took on executive and operational responsibilities, managed contract funding, and played a key role in the organization's response to COVID-19.
Most recently, they worked as a Substitute Teacher at Kelly, teaching students across various grade levels. Currently, they serve as the Director of Development, Partnerships & Events at Special Olympics Florida, where they manage sponsor relationships and successful cause marketing campaigns.
Jackie Dryden, JD has a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Political Science from the University of Florida. Jackie also earned a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the University of Florida - Fredric G. Levin College of Law. In addition to their formal education, Jackie has obtained various certifications, including a Process Improvement workshop badge from the USF Corporate Training and Professional Education in February 2023. Jackie also holds certificates in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace (obtained in May 2021) and Post-Crisis Leadership (obtained in December 2020) from the same institution. Furthermore, they are a Florida Notary Public since September 2020 and has completed the Nonprofit Sustainability Cohort program offered by the Nonprofit Leadership Center in November 2019. Lastly, Jackie is a licensed attorney as a member of The Florida Bar since December 1998.
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Special Olympics Florida
Special Olympics Florida provides year-round sports training and competition to children and adults with intellectual disabilities, at no cost to the athlete or their caregiver, as a means to achieve physical fitness, self-esteem, socialization skills, and the life skills necessary to be a productive, respected and contributing members of their communities. Founded by the late Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Special Olympics is the world’s largest program of sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, serving 3.7 million people in more than 170 countries. In Florida, 25,000 athletes train and compete year round, in 20 different team and individual sports of their choice. Founded in 1972, Special Olympics Florida is a certified 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit organization funded solely through the generosity of individuals, businesses and civic groups. This support allows Special Olympics to never charge the athlete or their families a fee for participation.