Jennifer Fairweather: Always Seeking Opportunities to Make a Difference

For Jennifer Fairweather, a career in public sector offered her a chance to pursue her professional passion while serving her community.

“I was interested in bridging my love for human resources with a desire to make a greater impact in my community,” says Fairweather, who has served as the chief human resources officer for Jefferson County, Colo., since March 2010.

“Working in the public sector has given me the opportunity to support employees who serve the public every day. No two days are ever the same, and each week brings new challenges and opportunities to make a difference.”

Fairweather has been taking advantage of those opportunities in a number of ways and in a number of roles for close to 30 years.

In 1998, Fairweather joined the City and County of Denver as a human resources manager, serving in that position for five years before taking over as HR director for the City’s Fire Department.

In March 2005, Fairweather was named director of human resources for the City’s Department of Human Services, serving in that capacity until March 2010, when she accepted the role of CHRO with Jefferson County.

Fairweather—who holds a doctorate in business administration and organization development from Johnson & Wales University—has also been preparing future generations of public sector HR leaders for nearly as long as she’s been a public servant.

She helped found Dwennimen Leadership Consulting in 2004, and served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Denver for two years, facilitating organizational leadership and strategic human resources courses for the school’s College of Professional Studies. Fairweather is also a former affiliate professor at Denver’s Regis University, where she led graduate and undergraduate courses for the Anderson College of Business and Computing.

Fairweather joined PSHRA as a member in 1999, seeking to become part of a vast network of peers, and to tap into the Association’s considerable resources.

“PSHRA uniquely understands the nuances of public sector HR and provides resources tailored to the work we do,” says Fairweather, who served as PSHRA’s national president in 2023, and received the organization’s honorary lifetime membership award the following year.

“Most importantly, the professional network has been incredibly inspiring, encouraging growth, learning, collaboration and support throughout my career.”

PSHRA has also helped Fairweather learn from her peers in the field, stay informed about new initiatives and approaches to public sector HR and strengthen her leadership skills, she says.

“The organization has provided valuable insight into navigating the unique challenges of public sector work with political awareness and strategic perspective,” says Fairweather, who has also earned a master’s degree in human resource development from Webster University, and a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Colorado.

Ultimately, through her involvement with her PSHRA peers, her consulting work and her CHRO role with Jefferson County, Fairweather is eager to continue advancing her profession and impacting her community.

“My goal is to leave my workplace better than I found it, and to help inspire and develop future public sector HR leaders. I hope to continue contributing to meaningful work that strengthens both organizations and communities.”