Partner Spotlight: Jill Whitnah

Jill Whitnah joined SVP in 2007, and after serving on the due diligence team she joined the board in 2008. Having completed her term, Jill has left a legacy of growth in partner numbers and expanded programming. As a board member, Jill brought her thoughtful deliberation and personal warmth to board discussions as well as serving as SVP’s “chief risk management officer,” applying the professional expertise she gained in the insurance business.

Jill started on her engaged philanthropy path early in her career when she joined a group called Community Capital Alliance, now the Fourth Generation program of the Minneapolis Foundation. Community Capital Alliance was a group of young professionals who pooled their money, researched nonprofits they wanted to support, and then gave both their time and contributions to those nonprofits. Sound familiar?

“I will personally miss her presence on the board,” said executive director Brad Brown. “I always left feeling upbeat about SVP and our work after a conversation with Jill.”

Board Chair and SVP Minnesota founder Steve Bloom had this to say about Jill, “I want to thank Jill for her outstanding contributions over the past several years. Her infectious smile and positive attitude, coupled with her extremely savvy decision making skills, made her a very important part of our growth and maturation. We are all lucky to have her as a part of SVP MN.”