Barbara Polk is the chief operating officer at JFF. She is responsible for setting the vision for the strategic use of JFF’s resources and leading the change management efforts necessary to position the organization to continue to scale and evolve. She oversees and ensures that business operations provide effective support and collaboration, contributing to the achievement of JFF’s North Star.
Her skills and areas of expertise include:
- Strategic planning
- Business operations
- Change management
- Organizational development
- Human capital/training and development
Before joining JFF, Polk held leadership positions at Lift Our Voices, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, National Restaurant Association, American Red Cross, Ellucian, and XO Communications. She is a senior executive with more than 25 years of operations, human resources, finance and technology leadership, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion, and board governance experience.
Educational background:
- Bachelor’s degree in political science, Rutgers University, Brunswick, New Jersey
- Graduate coursework, Harvard Business School, American University, and University of Maryland
- Certification, ICF Executive Coach