Irene Jacobs is committed to creating a world where all children have the opportunity to achieve their full potential.  She serves on Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano’s Executive Team as Senior Policy Advisor and Director of the Office of Children, Youth & Families. 

Through her leadership, the Office has evolved into 8 highly empowered integrated divisions that serve the community on the issues of early childhood education, substance abuse prevention and treatment, youth development, juvenile justice, domestic violence and women and children’s health.  The office provides approximately $25 M in grants to organizations throughout Arizona and involves hundreds of citizens through 17 Boards and Commissions, including the Governor’s Children’s Cabinet.   It provides statewide training and is the lead on special projects such as the Governor’s Book Program.

Irene believes that the optimum time to positively impact a child's success is during the first years of life.   She was able to impact that vision through her work as director of the State School Readiness Board where the Governor asked her to serve after her initial election in 2003.  The Board’s work guided the Governor’s actions pertaining to early education and laid a foundation for a citizen’s initiative passed in 2006 to improve the development and health of children.  Irene subsequently led the creation of similar frameworks that guide statewide policy and program improvements in the areas of substance abuse prevention, youth development, and benchmarks of child well-being.

Irene previously worked with Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Save the Children, and Children’s Action Alliance. She has a master’s degree in social work and is on the Boards of the United Healthcare Children’s Foundation, the Interagency Council on Homelessness and the Arizona Grantmaker’s Forum.