Sarasota nonprofit leader wins global Junior League honor

Jessica Rogers, a prominent leader in nonprofit and fundraising in Sarasota for 20 years, has been named to a unique list: the inaugural 2025 class of 40 Over 40 from the Association of Junior Leagues International.

Rogers, vice president of philanthropy at local nonprofit Children First, is a longtime Junior League of Sarasota member, according to a statement. She’s held several leadership roles with the organization, including chair of the Legacy Luncheon and recording secretary on the board. In 2019, she received the League’s Sustainer Community Service Award, the release adds, for her “outstanding contributions to the Sarasota community.”

Courtesy image

The Junior Leagues International award “recognizes 40 exceptional women selected from 300 Junior Leagues across six countries. Honorees were chosen for their leadership, service and community impact in professional and volunteer capacities, the release states,” the release states.

“I am incredibly grateful for this recognition and the opportunity to serve alongside so many inspiring women,” Rogers says in the statement. “Through my work with the Junior League and Children First, I’ve witnessed the powerful change that comes when we invest in people and their potential.”

At Children First — Sarasota County’s exclusive Head Start and Early Head Start services provider — Rogers leads the organization’s efforts to advance early childhood education, family strengthening and poverty reduction. Under her leadership, Children First has expanded career-building programs for parents, launched mental health initiatives in response to the pandemic and received national accolades, including recognition from the National Head Start Association. Rogers joined the organization in 2017; prior to that she held fundraising and leadership roles at the New College of Florida foundation.

“Jessica has had an extraordinary impact on our community,” Junior League of Sarasota President Laura Conaboy says in the statement. “Her dedication to uplifting families and advancing equity for children is inspiring. Her recognition as one of AJLI’s 40 Over 40 honorees is well deserved and a testament to how Sarasota women are shaping the future through service and leadership.”

The 2025 40 Over 40 honorees will be recognized during the AJLI Annual Conference on May 29 in Orlando. The Junior League of Sarasota is an organization of women committed to advancing leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration and training. It was founded in 1957 and today has nearly 700 members.