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 JFF’s business operations, Finance, People & Culture, IT, and Office Experience teams 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, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the National Restaurant Association, the 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, 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