Dr. Jennifer Clyburn Reed is a distinguished career educator, public servant, and community advocate whose professional resume reflects a deep commitment to providing access, creating opportunities, and advancing local and regional economies. In January 2022, Dr. Clyburn Reed made history, becoming the first Federal Co-Chair of the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission (SCRC) and the first Black woman to occupy this role in the 60-year history of Regional Commissions in the United States.

SCRC’s geographic region encompasses parts of seven states: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and the whole state of Florida. It covers more than 210,000 square miles and serves over 51 million residents in 428 counties. As a Federal-State partnership, SCRC invests in communities experiencing economic distress by funding programs and projects through cooperative agreements and grants to state and local governments and community-based organizations.

Under Dr. Clyburn Reed’s leadership, SCRC prioritized strategic planning and discipline over size and speed to accomplish its mission. Recognizing the region’s size and the scale of needs, she focuses on targeted disbursements of resources.

The inaugural State Economic and Infrastructure Development (SEID) grant program in 2024 generated 363 applications from six states, where a $19 million allocation funded 56 projects. In 2025, a second grant round processed 357 applications, and a $34 million grant allocation funded 83 projects. To date, SCRC has invested $53 million in 139 projects targeting job creation, infrastructure repairs, and increased access to capital. These projects reflect Dr. Clyburn Reed’s unwavering commitment to expanding economic opportunities and improving the quality of life in historically underserved areas.

Dr. Clyburn Reed also commissioned a 428-county health assessment that examined the interconnectedness among workforce participation, access to essential services, and regional economic stability. In response to the data collected, SCRC created the Crescent Care Collaborative, partnering with the U.S. Department of State to place qualified physicians in designated shortage areas where the domestic labor supply was insufficient or unavailable. To date, over 425 physicians have been placed in high-need counties. These placements have stabilized essential services, reduced business operating risks, and helped reverse stagnation in economic growth.

Before the Presidential appointment and Senate confirmation, Dr. Clyburn Reed built a 28-year career in education in South Carolina’s public school system, serving as an elementary and middle school teacher and District Literacy Coach. She served as Department Chair, Program Coordinator, and Team Leader for multiple years. She later transitioned to higher education as Director of a research center at the University of South Carolina, where she co-founded the Apple Core Initiative (ACI), a teacher recruitment, enrollment, and retention scholarship program housed within the College of Education. ACI continues to operate today, supporting the next generation of educators. Currently, Dr. Reed chairs the selection committee for the Dr. Emily E. Clyburn Endowed Scholarship at Dr. Emily E. Clyburn Honors College at South Carolina State University, the only public Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in South Carolina.

Dr. Clyburn Reed was born in Charleston, South Carolina, to James Enos and Emily England Clyburn. When the family moved to Columbia, South Carolina, she completed her studies at V.V. Reid Preschool and Richland County District One schools - Greenview Elementary, Sanders Middle, and W.J. Keenan High School. A lifelong learner, Dr. Clyburn Reed earned a doctoral degree in Instructional Leadership from Nova Southeastern University and is a three-time graduate of the University of South Carolina, earning an Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in Teaching, Master of Arts and Teaching (M.A.T.), and Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degrees.

Jennifer’s dedication to community extends beyond professional roles. She was a small business owner operating an education consulting firm and co-owned a candy popcorn, coffee, and ice cream shop with her sisters. She also co-owned a property investment, restoration, and management company with her husband and led its nonprofit arm, which assisted first-time homebuyers.

In 2013, after an uncle’s death, Jennifer became an instant caregiver for an aunt with undiagnosed dementia. Three years later, she became a co-caregiver for her mother, learning to administer daily in-home peritoneal dialysis treatments. After her beloved mother died in 2019, Jennifer coped with the loss by cultivating her mother’s passion for home gardening and staying emotionally grounded by growing healthy, organic herbs and vegetables.

Her civic and social affiliations include memberships and leadership roles in the Richland County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the Columbia SC Chapter of the MOLES, Inc., the American Association of University Women of SC (AAUW), and Greenview Community Club. She is a former Board Chair of the City of Columbia Community Relations Council, a former Board Chair of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Columbia, and a former Board member of Emerge SC, where she was the graduation speaker for the Classes of 2020 and 2024. Dr. Clyburn Reed was the 2019 Class President of the Clyburn Political Fellowship cohort, is a Paul Harris Fellow Rotarian, a Lifetime Member of the NAACP, and a Notary Public.

Dr. Reed is married to Walter A. Reed, a Mississippi native and retired civil engineer. They are the proud parents of two children: Walter A. Clyburn Reed, a graduate student at American University and political operative, and Dr. Sydney Reed Jackson, who completed a pediatric residency at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC, and is now an incoming Pediatric Cardiology Fellow at the UT Southwestern in Dallas, TX. The family has grown with the addition of a son-in-law, Justin Jackson, an electrical engineer, and her first grandchild.

Jennifer is the recipient of awards and recognitions over the years, including the Rotary Club Rookie of the Year Award, Benedict College’s In Her Footsteps Luncheon Honoree, Allen University’s Richard Allen Award recipient, and Leeza Gibbons’ inaugural Dare2Lead awardee. In 2022, the African Theological ArchMinistry at the Kingdom of Oyotunji African Village conferred Dr. Reed with the traditional title of Otun Asoju Oba during a ceremony at the 52nd Anniversary King's Day Celebration. Through leadership, service, and unwavering dedication to uplifting communities, Dr. Jennifer Clyburn Reed continues to navigate fruitful pathways to progress throughout the Southeast and beyond.