A California native, Jenifer received her undergraduate degree in Nutrition from Pepperdine University in Malibu. Upon graduating she began working at Northeast Valley Health Corporation WIC program in the San Fernando Valley as a clinic supervisor, Breastfeeding Assistant Director, and a Clinical Dietitian. In 2002 she simultaneously completed her Master’s Degree in Nutrition at California State University Northridge and her dietetic internship at the USC University Affiliated Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
In the past 2 decades she has lived for extended periods of time between California and Central America bringing with her a rich bilingual / bicultural experience. She is currently the Director of Diabetes Education & Outreach at SDRI. She is the lead diabetes educator as part of the Santa Barbara Diabetes Initiative. In this role Jenifer develops and facilitates family-based, culturally-specific workshops emphasizing the roles nutrition and lifestyle play in the prevention and treatment of pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. She provides bilingual diabetes education to the medically underserved at five clinic locations in southern Santa Barbara County.