Born and raised in Williams Lake, Jen Brown enjoys a life filled with family, work and community service.
Brown grew up with an older brother, a younger sister and a young brother. She played baseball as a kid and into her adult years and, when she graduated from high school, she went on to take an applied business technology course at University College of the Cariboo (now TRU).
She started working at Carson Chiropractic, then Cariboo Dental Clinic, and Vitality Dental Clinic, where she decided to become a certified dental assistant.
In 2002 Brown met her husband Jim, owner of Don Brown and Son Heating and Plumbing, through mutual friends, and felt an instant connection.
“It felt like we knew each other for years,” she said.
The two married in 2005, and had their daughter Kaitlyn in 2007.
By 2016 Brown said she was ready for a career change and took a position as an administrative assistant at community corrections before securing a job as a wildfire clerk in 2017, just a couple weeks before the historic 2017 wildfires.
“I ended up evacuating the building before I even knew where all the bathrooms were,” Brown joked of the situation which, in many ways, changed her life.
She described the days and weeks that followed in the summer of 2017 as scary and stressful but also meaningful and fulfilling.
“It was an incredible learning experience,” she said, noting the long days spent working along side her colleagues made lifelong connections.
“It was definitely a turning point in my life and changed the path I was on.”
Taking another leap down her career path, Brown is now a senior advisor in the Indigenous Relations department for the Cariboo Chilcotin Natural Resource District for the Ministry of Forests.
“I love it. It’s amazing to be a part of a change in the way government works toward reconciliation.”
The new position has led Brown to pass the torch from another demanding position she has held for the last six years; that of team manager for her daughter’s all-female hockey team.
She said her daughter was introduced to the sport when she signed up for an Esso Fun Day event.
“She never looked back - she loved it.”
She credits her volunteer work with helping her become more assertive, as she had to talk in front of groups and often deal with stressful situations.
She also enjoyed being involved with the Williams Lake Minor Hockey Association, and all the lifelong friends she has made there.
“The rink’s been a home-away-from-home for me.”
As a mother, Brown said she is excited for her daughter as she nears high school graduation next year and to see where life takes her.
Her advice to her daughter is to “take opportunities when they present themselves because you never know where you are going to end up,” to stand up for yourself when required and go and find what you love and are passionate about, and everything else will take care of itself.
