Jenn Godwin

Marketing & Social Media Coordinator

For Jenn Godwin, storytelling has been the common thread throughout a communications career that has taken her from newspapers and higher education to city government, healthcare, the arts, and even a zoo. At Carolina Waterfowl Rescue, she has found an opportunity to bring that experience together with something equally important to her: a lifelong connection to animals, nature, and those who might otherwise be overlooked.

As CWR's Marketing and Social Media Coordinator, Jenn helps tell the stories behind the organization's mission. She coordinates content for CWR's external audiences, creating everything from social media posts and email communications to multimedia content that captures the daily life of the rescue.

That means no two days necessarily look the same. One day she might be filming the latest antics of Gomez, CWR's Australian Black Swan; another might find her telling the story of the people behind CWR's songbird nursery. Her role reaches across departments, allowing her to document the rescues, residents, programs, and people that collectively make CWR what it is.

For Jenn, effective communications is about more than simply telling people what an organization does. It is about helping people understand why the work matters and creating connections between an organization and the community that makes its mission possible.

Jenn's academic background includes undergraduate studies in English and journalism with a minor in dance, and she is currently pursuing a master's degree in writing. Much of her professional communications training has also come through years of hands-on experience. She holds certification in FEMA crisis communications and is continuing to pursue professional development in public relations.

Her communications career has exposed her to an unusually diverse range of organizations and audiences. She has worked in newspaper journalism, at a public university, in city government, for a large healthcare nonprofit, and for a small art museum. Along the way, she expanded her skills beyond writing to include areas such as videography and website design.

Her nonprofit experience includes work with ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, while other positions have given her experience in technology, public speaking, government, and administration. Jenn credits mentors throughout her career with helping shape her as a communications professional and continues to maintain relationships with many of them.

One of her most memorable professional experiences came during a summer working in communications at the Little Rock Zoo. Although relatively brief compared with other chapters of her career, Jenn considers the experience one of the most impactful of her life.

Her connection with animals, however, began much earlier.

Jenn grew up on a small 4.2-acre farm where her family raised chickens and sheep. Animals remained part of family life over the years, and her fathers now keep a flock of approximately 20 chickens, complete with names such as Oprah HENfry and Sophia LorHEN, sharing their eggs with neighbors.

Birds also have a special place in Jenn's family history. Her grandparents were enthusiastic birders, and her grandfather once kept a dove that would fly for miles before reliably returning home. Her grandparents also had a small pond with two ducks that were eventually donated to the Little Rock Zoo.

But Jenn's strongest personal connection to birds comes from her grandmother.

Her grandmother cared deeply for creatures that were often neglected or overlooked, giving them her time, energy, and compassion. She also had a blue parakeet named Ladybird, who bonded with Jenn when she was young. Those memories helped establish a connection with birds that Jenn still carries with her today.

In many ways, Jenn sees her work at CWR as an opportunity to continue her grandmother's legacy of caring for those who need it most.

That sense of connection is also reflected in the way Jenn describes herself: she has always been drawn to nature and to the underdog. Looking back, combining her professional communications background with her love of animals now seems almost inevitable.

After moving to North Carolina from Memphis in 2025, Jenn was looking for more than simply another communications position. She wanted a purpose-driven organization she could call home. She found that opportunity at Carolina Waterfowl Rescue.

Although her work does not require her to provide direct animal care every day, Jenn understands that telling CWR's story is another way of supporting the animals themselves. Building public awareness, engaging supporters, documenting rescues, educating audiences, and helping people connect emotionally with CWR's mission all contribute to the organization's ability to continue its work.

As she grows in her position, Jenn hopes to expand her involvement in donor relations and fundraising—areas in which she already has professional experience—while learning more about CWR's education and outreach programs, volunteer operations, adoptions, and other aspects of the organization.

Outside of work, Jenn's life remains full of stories and creativity. She enjoys reading and creating, volunteers at her daughter's school, and serves as a co-troop leader for a Girl Scout troop.

She is also the owner of impressively large shoe and PEZ dispenser collections.

At home, Jenn shares her life with Satchmo, a black Lab mix, and Tilly, a gray-haired cat, who—along with their humans—have apparently negotiated a peaceful coexistence.

From journalism and public relations to nonprofit communications and animal welfare, Jenn's career has consistently centered on finding stories worth telling and helping them reach the people who need to hear them.

At CWR, those stories have feathers, fur, scales, and names. Some are stories of recovery, others of permanent sanctuary, and still others are about the people who dedicate themselves to making those outcomes possible.

For Jenn, telling those stories is her way of helping ensure that Carolina Waterfowl Rescue's mission of compassion in action continues.