Jennifer Vargo, Ohio Department of Education and Workforce

Jennifer Vargo is the director of the Office of Integrated Student Supports at the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. In this role, Jennifer leads the Department’s strategies on meeting the needs of the whole child, which include school nutrition programs, health, mental and behavioral health, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, social-emotional learning and school climate. Her office also administers programs that support vulnerable youth populations, including students experiencing homelessness, youth in foster care, English learners and justice-involved youth.  

Prior to the Department, Jennifer worked as a school principal in an urban, high-poverty, elementary school. She returned to the Department in August 2019, having previously spent 10 years leading its school improvement efforts as the director of the Office of Innovation and Improvement and as a School Improvement Transformation specialist. She also led the Department’s family and community engagement policies and programs. Jennifer was a Bright Fellow and received her MBA and school administration coursework from The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business. She also holds a Master’s in Social Work from The Ohio State University and Bachelor of Arts from Denison University.