Jennifer Eccles

Dr. Jennifer Eccles is the System Director of Nursing Initiatives in Minnesota, serving as the liaison with 62 nursing programs encompassing 16,000 full-time equivalent students across 37 colleges and universities. She collaborates with community, industry, government, and national partners to support nursing workforce initiatives. Jennifer provides visionary leadership to develop and execute programs that meet workforce demands, foster education, achieve equity, empower individuals, and improve lives.

Jennifer previously served as nursing faculty at a community college, Dean of Health Sciences, Nursing Program Director, and Interim Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs. She led initiatives to update student services, meet workforce demands, increase academic efficiency, build community partnerships, improve faculty relations, and implement strategic enrollment plans.

As an academic leader for more than a decade, Jennifer played a key role in elevating two nursing programs to top-ranking status in Minnesota while improving financial performance and increasing faculty and student satisfaction. She enhanced enrollment and retention and aligned credit and non-credit programming. She was also a founding member of an award-winning Associate/Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing (BSN) program spanning eight institutions, enabling students to earn a BSN while remaining on their community college campus.

Jennifer is a published author in peer-reviewed journals and a contributor to a leadership book published by the American Nurses Association. She holds an Honors Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a Master of Education in Curriculum Studies, a Master of Science in Nursing in Advanced Practice, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing, with research focused on critical access hospital leaders and professional practice environments that improve patient outcomes.

She maintains active engagement in numerous professional and community organizations, including the Organization for Associate Degree Nursing, the AARP National Nursing Leadership Council, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, and local Native American education initiatives. She also volunteers with emergency medical services and youth athletics programs.

Prior to her work in higher education, Jennifer held roles including assistant director of nursing, clinical director of medical-surgical services, emergency nurse manager, nursing project manager, and clinical educator. She served in the Royal Canadian Navy as one of the first women in Canada in a combat role and was the highest-ranked woman naval combat information operator in the Canadian fleet. She also served as a volunteer firefighter and paramedic. She is the mother of five children and caregiver to two Newfoundland dogs, and she is a proud U.S. citizen.

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