Jennifer Owen is Owner of Designing Trust, a professional consulting firm. Designing Trust offers family mediation, guardian ad litem services, and public policy consulting. An attorney with experience in federal law, public policy, and regulation, Jennifer advises her clients on a variety of matters, including organizational development, strategic planning, regulatory compliance, and nonprofit management. Jennifer has a passion for systems-level approaches to complex challenges, including reducing the occurrence of trauma in early childhood, strengthening families and communities, and creating mission-driven organizational cultures.
Jennifer previously served as the Executive Director of Explorers Academy – A Head Start Program. Jennifer led Explorers Academy through a phase of robust growth, including rebranding the agency, creating sustainable revenue models, and strengthening the quality of services overall. In 2016, Jennifer joined with two partners to launch The Art of Play, a family-centered indoor playground for children ages 5 and under. Prior to her entry into early childhood education, Jennifer served as Executive Director of Clinica Verde, a US-based NGO operating in rural Nicaragua, bringing the highest quality of health care to women and children living in extreme poverty. She has worked in both the U.S. Senate and U.S. Department of Energy on clean energy policy and innovation.
Jennifer currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Rocky Mountain College, and the Billings Child Abuse Prevention Foundation. She is also a Member of the Billings City Council, elected in 2021 to represent her Billings Heights neighborhood. Jennifer previously served on the Board of the Big Sky Economic Development Authority, as chair of the Billings Heights Neighborhood Task Force, and as an appointee to the City of Billings’ Energy & Conservation Commission. She is a member of the Heights Exchange Club and the St. Vincent Healthcare Community Advisory Committee.
Jennifer holds a B.A. in political science from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. She earned her JD from George Washington University Law School and also holds a certificate in trauma-informed legal advocacy. In 2018, Jennifer was named one of Billings’ Top 40 Under 40 and one of Billings’ 20 Most Inspirational Women. Jennifer has also been featured on the cover of the Yellowstone Valley Women magazine.
Designing Trust 