In her role as director of First 5 LA’s Contract Administration & Purchasing (CAP) Department, Jennifer Eckhart oversees the agency’s procurement activities and contract administration. Jennifer supports both purchasing and grantmaking functions in close coordination with internal teams and external partners. She is a member of the Leadership Team and serves as an advisor to the vice president of Operations and Sustainability.
With more than two decades of experience spanning workforce development, public health, and nonprofit operations, Jennifer brings a unique perspective shaped by both program delivery and administrative leadership. Prior to joining First 5 LA in 2009, she served as a contracts manager for Public Health Foundation Enterprises, Inc. (now Heluna Health), where she managed the contract for the organization’s Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program, among many others. While at the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), Jennifer oversaw workforce development programs as well as child care provider trainings and family literacy services. During that time, she also managed a job training program that earned HACLA a program innovation award from the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials. Jennifer also served as an asset development manager for Community Financial Resource Center and as a business consultant for Community Career Development, Inc.
Jennifer serves on the Advisory Board of the Customer Experience Certificate Program at the University of California, Irvine and is a member of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing and the National Contract Management Association (NCMA). She previously served as vice president of communications for NCMA’s San Fernando Valley Chapter.
Jennifer earned her bachelor’s degree in history and political science from UCLA and her certification in contracts management from the University of California, Irvine. A resident of the Santa Clarita Valley, Jennifer likes to spend time outdoors with her husband and three children, hiking as many new trails as possible.
