College Columns Profiles: The Fascinating and Indispensable Jenny Cudahy
Hon. Joan N. Feeney( Ret.)
In the tapestry of the Fellowship of the American College of Bankruptcy, one individual quietly yet profoundly impacts our organization not only through her adept administrative expertise, but through her deep knowledge and experience in the realm of social justice. Jenny Cudahy’ s unwavering and longtime dedication to helping people has defined her career and personal life and motivates her to create an equitable environment for all.
We owe a debt of gratitude to Jenny for her longtime service to the College, and we are the beneficiaries of her decision to continue with CC Schapp when CC became Executive Director of the College. In this profile, we highlight Jenny’ s commitment, compassion, and contributions to the College.
Jenny was raised by parents who instilled in her a commitment to social justice. Her father was the pastor in a rural Virginia church that partnered with other congregations, including an African-American church, and her mother was a French teacher in Roanoke, Virginia. The entire family was active in all of the churches in which Jenny’ s father was a pastor. As a young person, Jenny was exposed to diverse communities and taught to volunteer to help others. She assisted her parents in feeding the homeless, tutoring in schools, and fundraising for the poor in rural Virginia, a tradition her mother continues.
Jenny graduated in 1990 from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. She majored in both French and Spanish,
which contributed to her love of travel as well as her skills in event planning. Jenny married her husband James in 1991. They knew they were soulmates from the outset, sharing a commitment to help others, and James is himself an award-winning leader in the non-profit field. After college, Jenny did post graduate work in Education Leadership and worked at Diplomatic Languages Services translating and coordinating simultaneous translations of meetings among United States and foreign diplomats.
Jenny’ s fluency in both languages has been invaluable in her professional association work-- and in vacation travel with her family. Traveling to France holds a special place in Jenny’ s heart, fueled by her love for the culture, and everything French-- art, architecture, history, food, and perfumes.
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