Brenda Jimenez

Brenda Jiménez is CEO of MENTOR New York, local Affiliate of MENTOR National and a nonprofit organization committed to increasing the quality and quantity of mentoring relationships for young people and closing the mentoring gap in New York State. She was appointed to the position in December 2019 and led the organization through this time of a global pandemic and racial unrest. For the five years preceding the appointment to CEO, Brenda was Director of Operations and Growth Strategies for MENTOR NY. Before joining MENTOR NY, Brenda worked for Big Brother Big Sisters of America (BBBSA), Girl Scouts of the USA, and United Way of Essex and West Hudson.

Brenda was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, and raised in a military family stationed in Germany, Texas, and five other states. In her adolescence, her family settled in the Bronx, where she attended the prestigious Cardinal Spellman High School. She received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Seton Hall University and later pursued a Master’s in Public Administration with a Non-Profit Management concentration from the Robert F. Wagner School for Public Service at New York University. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Executive Leadership from The Center of Leadership at The University of Charleston in West Virginia.

Brenda has served as the co-chair of the MENTOR Affiliate Advisory Council, a strategic affiliate leaders council that helps inform, shape, and develop strategies in partnership with MENTOR for the mentoring movement across the nation.

Brenda received four 2020 Stevie Awards for Women in Business in the silver and bronze for government or non-profit in the following categories: Female Innovator of the Year, Woman of the Year, Female Executive of the Year, and Most Innovative Woman of the Year. From 2011-2016 she was Board President for AllCare Provider Services, Inc. and is the former Board Treasurer for Latinas United for Political Empowerment Political Action Committee (LUPE PAC). In 2011, she was Vice-Chair to Comité Noviembre 25th Annual Gala. Brenda has received numerous other recognitions including Comité Noviembre, “Lo Mejor de Nuestra Comunidad”: “The Best in Our Community” Award 2010 and El Diario/LA PRENSA Latinas Destacadas 2004 Award.

Brenda is happily married and has three daughters, Leilah, 31, Bianca, 13, and Sofia, 11. She currently resides in Jersey City, NJ.