Wendy Jones

Managing Director
Illinois College Access Network

Wendy Jones is the Managing Director of the Illinois College Access Network (IllinoisCAN), an organization that seeks to increase the capacity and effectiveness of college access organizations in Illinois. To achieve this, for its over fifty-member and 210-individual Network, Jones works to facilitate communications & collaborations, provide professional development & technical assistance for college access providers, increase visibility of Illinois’ college access programs, and disseminate college access research & best practices.

Before IllinoisCAN, Jones worked in the areas of domestic violence, juvenile justice, and education in Chicago. Her experience includes stints at Family Rescue as a domestic violence court advocate for adult victims, and as a social worker and on juvenile defense cases for Northwestern University’s School of Law at the Child and Family Justice Center. Jones has also worked with adolescents in the Chicago Public Schools, Sue Duncan Children’s Center, and STRIVE. Previously, she assisted in administering college scholarship awards at the George M. Pullman Educational Foundation.

Jones earned a Masters degree from the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration and a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University. Her interests include skiing, food, social justice, and she just started climbing.