Cara Jones leads the Kentwood Public Schools Education Foundation with over two decades of dedicated fundraising experience and a deep commitment to the community that shaped her.

Cara is a proud alumna of Kentwood Public Schools, having attended Glenwood Elementary, Pinewood Middle School, and East Kentwood High School. Her professional journey began with a foundation in engineering, earning her a BSE in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Western Michigan University. While initially drawn to engineering, she quickly discovered her passion for fundraising, where her persistence, creativity, and strategic mindset proved to be invaluable assets.

She sharpened her skills at organizations like Hospice of Michigan and later with the Grand Rapids Public Schools Foundation, where she ultimately found her calling championing public education. While there, she was recognized with the Young Nonprofit Professionals “Good to Great” Award for her work on the Great Sports, Great Kids initiative. She is also a proud alumna of the Leadership Grand Rapids Class of 2008.

For Cara, serving as Executive Director is a homecoming. After years of professional success, she felt compelled to give back to the school district that laid the essential foundation for her life: instilling the work ethic and building the relationships that defined her career. This role is not just a career move; it is an opportunity to invest in the same community that invested so much in her.

Cara, her husband Mike, and their two children can usually be found traveling and spending time outdoors—arguing over who forgot the bug spray, debating whether Wi-Fi counts as a survival skill, and Googling “nearest Starbucks.”