Team & Board

Robbie Pentecost

Executive Director

Sister of St. Francis Robbie Pentecost has served the Appalachian region for the past 26 years, providing tools and resources for the empowerment of women, children and their communities. Prior to joining NOSW as Executive Director, Robbie served as a major gifts officer with the Christian Appalachian Project (CAP).

Sister Robbie is a Fellow with the Center for Women, Faith and Leadership, part of the Institute for Global Engagement. She also serves on the Board of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice based in Washington, D.C., and is a member of the Peace and Justice Commission for the Diocese of Lexington, KY.  

Sister Robbie has been a member of the Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg, IN, for over 35 years and holds a bachelor’s in finance and accounting from Missouri State University and a master’s in business administration (MBA) from St. Louis University.

Favorite part of working at NOSW:

“My favorite part of this work is watching the change in the face of a woman from the day they walk through our doors of our residential program until they leave two weeks later. The transformation is incredible.”

Susan Jordison

Operations Manager

Susan began working for the New Opportunity School for Women in 2013 as the Office Manager. She holds a bachelor’s of business administration with an emphasis on management from Eastern Kentucky University. Susan is a native of Rockcastle County and still resides there on a farm with her husband, Lloyd, and two sons, Erik and Austin.

Favorite part of working at NOSW:

“My favorite part of working at NOSW is getting to meet the women we serve and watching their impressive transformation.”

Jimmie Lewis

Recruitment, Assessment & Graduate Engagement Coordinator

Jimmie became a part of the NOSW team in 2014 to provide clinical consultation, counseling support and assessment to participants and staff during the residential program. She has been a member of the Board’s Program Committee since that time. She brings to that work two decades of experience working with non-profits and community mental health programs in areas of family support/advocacy, housing security, substance abuse, trauma and mental health.  

A Berea native with strong Appalachian roots, Jimmie earned her bachelor of arts in sociology at Berea College as a non-traditional student in 2000 and her master of arts in mental health counseling in 2007 from Eastern Kentucky University. Jimmie began her current full-time position with NOSW in May 2020 and is passionate about NOSW’s holistic approach and commitment to address the needs of women and families in the Appalachian region.

Favorite part of working at NOSW:

“My favorite part of the work I do is being with women as they realize a deep and solid sense of their own power to determine their path while they also understand that they are not alone on that journey. I love the lasting connections that are formed, both internally and in community.”

Jennifer Walden

Program Coordinator

Jennifer began working with the New Opportunity School for Women in September 2019 after her temporary position was added to the program department full time. She lives in Berea with her husband, Mark, and two teenage children, Talmadge and Raleigh. 

Jennifer is also a 2015 graduate of the Berea-based NOSW residential program. Participating in this program helped Jennifer find the courage to go back to college to earn her degree and address a regret she’d harbored for a long time. Taking inspiration from all that she learned about women’s issues while at NOSW, Jennifer double-majored in sociology and women’s and gender studies at Berea College, earning her bachelor’s of science in 2019. 

Jennifer has said it was serendipitous that the program was hiring a temporary program assistant the month she graduated from Berea: “It’s the honor of a lifetime to be able to work for the organization that inspired me and provided me with the tools to attain my goals.”

Favorite part of working at NOSW:

“I believe in the transformative power of this program because I experienced it first-hand. I feel very privileged to share these lessons with women seeking change but not knowing how or where to start.”

Amy Hogg

Development & Communications Coordinator

Amy is thrilled to work with NOSW to support our women through fundraising and communications. She has a background in journalism and has worked in development and communications for almost 20 years, most recently with Kentuckians For The Commonwealth, a grassroots social justice organization. She lives in Berea with her husband, Mike. They have two grown daughters, Ellie and Claire. Her novel for children, Callie Rose, was published in 2012.

Favorite part of working at NOSW:

“Women are powerful! And it’s exciting to watch them realize that for themselves.”