Jeanna Brownlee Promoted to Director of Sports and Wellness

As the Director of Sports and Wellness at the JCC, Jeanna Brownlee will oversee both the Recreation and Fitness areas, including staffing and programs for recreation, fitness, group exercise, personal training, and aquatics.

Brownlee previously served as the Director of Recreation at the JCC, and stepped into the newly created position in December. "I am very excited about this new position. I want to make the Diamond Family Fitness Center the place where our members feel like they truly belong," said Brownlee. "I am fortunate to have a good staff and work with some very talented coworkers."

Carol Folkerth, JCC executive director, said the decision to create the position of Director of Sports and Wellness was based on various organizational models at Jewish Community Centers across the nation, with input from the national JCC Association.

"Jeanna's nearly nine years of experience at the JCC, her knowledge of both the recreation and fitness fields, and her commitment to the mission of the JCC make her the perfect person to provide professional leadership to one of the JCC's largest core program areas," she said. "I look forward to Jeanna's leadership in program development, and in bringing consistency and coordination to these important services at the JCC."

A native of Adair, Iowa, Brownlee holds a bachelor's degree in Sports Administration and Business Administration from Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. "During my last semester of school, I completed a few classes at the University of Iowa and worked in their Intramural Department," said Brownlee. "That summer, I stayed in Iowa City and worked at the University with their summer sports camps and managed their softball complex. I then went on to my first full time job at Sterling, Ill., as a Recreation Supervisor.

"From there, I moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and worked at a new private Baseball/Softball club as their Softball Operation Director," she said. "In March 1999, I moved to Columbus, and started at the JCC as a Recreation Supervisor and have been here ever since. After four years, I was promoted to the Director of Recreation – a position in which I worked until being promoted in December."

Brownlee said she enjoys working in her yard, working out, and being outdoors – but her first love is sports. "I have always loved sports and chose this career because I wanted to do something I knew I would enjoy and to which I would be able to make a contribution," she said.

Her promotion leaves open the position of Director of Recreation, as well as the position of Director of Fitness. For more information on these job opportunities, visit the JCC website at www.columbusjcc.org, or call (614) 231-2731.