March 2, 2020
Positively Living has hired Jessica Langer, a seasoned fundraising specialist, as director of development for the nonprofit, which provides care and support to East Tennesseans living with HIV/AIDS, disabilities, mental illness, substance use disorder and/or homelessness.
Jessica Langer
Langer most recently served as major gifts officer and director of individual giving for the Girl Scouts of Greater New York in Manhattan, where she exceeded fundraising goals and boosted giving from $303,000 in 2017 to $1.1 million in 2018. Langer worked with Troop 6000, the Girl Scouts’ first-ever program serving girls living in homeless shelters.
She has nearly a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector, including civil rights work in Washington, D.C., and advocacy for the homeless and promotion of affordable housing in Boston.
“Jessica is an experienced development professional with a proven track record of helping nonprofits fulfill their fundraising goals above and beyond expectations,” said Steve Jenkins, chief executive officer of Positively Living. “She already understands the challenges that clients of Positively Living face and is passionate about building and maintaining relationships with donors so that we can fulfill our mission.”
Langer earned her Bachelor of Science in political science from East Carolina University and is working toward her Master of Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) at the University of Tennessee. She moved to Knoxville in 2019 with her husband, Dr. David Talmy, a UT professor of microbiology.
“The vision of Positively Living is to bring health, equity and hope to people who need it the most,” Langer said. “Since moving to Knoxville, I have been so impressed with the passion and commitment of the community to serve others. Joining the staff of Positively Living is a perfect fit for what I have done in the past, and I am ready to do my part to help those among us who are the most vulnerable and in need of compassion.”
The couple live in the Old City with their two dogs, London and Scout. In her free time, Langer enjoys hiking, yoga, Mexican food, visiting all the local breweries and traveling – she’s been to 26 states and 17 countries!
About Positively Living
Positively Living is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1997 to support individuals living with HIV. Today the company provides medical services through the Choice Health Network medical clinic along with prevention, case management, mental health, harm reduction and supportive housing services. Program staff work together to provide compassionate care, treatment services and disease prevention to Tennessee’s most vulnerable populations: individuals struggling to survive the challenges created by HIV, homelessness, mental illness, addiction, and disabilities. The company is based in Knoxville and has locations in Chattanooga and Memphis.
