After years of enhancing the education environment in the Gulf Coast through her work at St. Stephens Episcopal School and Mote Marine Laboratory, Jennifer Vigne in October took the reins as executive director of the Education Foundation of Sarasota County. “This job was almost customized to me,” she says. “I feel passionately that every child needs to have the opportunity to power their potential, to explore, reach it, know it, grasp it, see it.” SRQ sat down with Vigne to learn more about her.
Alex Sink
My first professional boss, the one who hired me for my first job, was Alex Sink, who at the time was a regional bank manager. With what she has gone and done, I felt so fortunate that so many years ago she was the one who hired me. I always looked up to her. She is not about having a woman for a woman’s sake, but embodied the values I also uphold—trying to strike a balance between professional life and a fulfilling and rewarding personal life. I saw that early on with her and that provided a lot of inspiration.
Crossfit
My husband Dan and I go to Seaward CrossFit on Boulevard of the Arts. It probably is a parallel to why I like marathons. I gravitate to things that push me farther than I think I can go. The best learning growth occurs when you are outside your box, your comfort zone. Then you’re developing mental capacity to do more than you ever thought possible and you realize you are capable of doing more. Oftentimes your mind limits your performance or your belief systems limit your potential. CrossFit defies that. You are constantly challenged to go further and push harder. Then your confidence grows and your belief in self grows.
Adventure Sports
Two of my kids (Drew, 18 and Emma, 16) play lacrosse. It’s the fastest growing sport now, and Riverview has an FHSAA [Florida High School Athletic Association] team. My kids started with some schoolmates, then started with a club team and one thing led to another. Our youngest daughter (Sara, 14) does track, gymnastics and soccer. My three kids together have made 10 trips to the ER. Nothing can rattle me after all that. We’re just adventurous, active people.
Kimberly Carrero
Fashion is not my forte. My mentor in fashion is Kimberly Carrero, who is just a fashionista. If I could take one day to live in her closet, my life would be great. I spend so little time on my clothing it embarrasses my children.
Debra Jacobs
In the last 10 years of working in nonprofits, she has been the foremost mentor to me, starting when she was at the Selby Foundation. I look at people who are accomplished for guidance and I put her in that category. I’m constantly seeking advice and try to be thoughtful and use consideration in my own personal decisions.
Ellen DeGeneres YouTube Clips
Completely hysterical. I do believe laughter is the best medicine. My daughter and I will sometimes watch YouTube videos of Ellen DeGeneres and she is always very funny.
Emma Denise Butler
My grandmother was someone that lived such a humble and yet accomplished life, but with such a focus on families. She was widowed at an early age; my grandfather was killed in World War II. She had four young children and raised those children on her own. She never remarried but stayed steadfast in love, honor and respect to her husband and also to her children. I have seen it transcend within my family members, my cousins—all are able to reflect the life she lived. My oldest daughter is named after her.
Great Outdoors
Camping, kayaking, rock climbing, going out West to the Grand Tetons or Yellowstone. I was supposed to live in nature my whole life. We have kids, and it has been important to me while raising children to have those memories and life experiences together. It’s expanded our world and strengthened the family unit as a whole. I don’t think I would enjoy traveling by myself. It’s rock climbing with my husband and three children next to me that makes it pure joy.
Good to Great by Jim Collins
Personally, it’s the Bible, my long-lasting book. I still to this day reference that book. It has a lot of substance to it. It is about the mindset of putting the right people on the right seats on the bus. It is disciplined principles of doing first things first to create that trajectory of success. Similar to Stephen Covey, he says to start with an end in mind. I’m a big believer you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. When I see authors or accomplished people, I seek advice or read their books.
Finley
We have a golden doodle. She is picture-worthy. She is a regular camper at Camp Bow Wow. We have had her since she was an eight-month old, and she is all puppy. She is following in the footsteps of my children with frequent visits to the emergency room.
