Director of Government Affairs
Missouri Foundation for Health
Born and raised in Texas, Jennifer Carter Dochler now considers Missouri home. With a background in advocacy and social work, she is passionate about public policy and systems change. In November 2022, Jennifer became the Director of Government Affairs at Missouri Foundation for Health where she spearheads local, state, and federal government relations on behalf of the Foundation.
While earning her bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Texas in Austin, she interned and volunteered at numerous nonprofits working to improve domestic and sexual violence response on campus and throughout the community. During her Master of Social Work program, she interned at the Missouri Capitol for the Chair of the Subcommittee of Appropriations on Health and Mental Health.
After graduating, she jumped into political organizing for the National Association of Social Workers -Missouri Chapter during the mid-term election. Jennifer spent more than 19 years at the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence serving in various staff roles during her tenure. For seven Missouri legislative sessions, she served as the Public Policy Director, responsible for passing or stopping numerous bills. Jennifer brings decades of experience in grassroots advocacy and government relations at the state and federal level. She shared her expertise in the field as an adjunct faculty member in the University of Missouri School of Social Work for 15 years.
Jennifer has received multiple awards for her professional accomplishments, including the “Citation of Merit” award for career accomplishments from the University of Missouri College of Health and Sciences, the “Visionary Voices Award” from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center and the “Outstanding Faculty Award” from the University of Missouri School of Social Work Alumni Association.
She lives in rural Boone County with her husband, three dogs, and one cat. During the summer, you will find her either in her vegetable garden, on Katy Trail biking or, finishing a new puzzle.