Allegheny College graduate Jenny Tompkins ‘18 has been named one of Erie’s 40 Under 40 in Erie Reader for her significant contributions as Clean Water Campaign Manager at PennFuture. Based in Erie, Tompkins leads critical efforts to enhance climate resilience in Pennsylvania’s waterways and watershed communities.
“My role involves aligning the necessary resources to leverage and ensure collaboration between the organization’s civic engagement, policy, legislative, communications, and legal expertise to achieve shared water goals,” says Tompkins. “I am gratified to know PennFuture’s work and my contributions serve the broader purpose of protecting the constitutional environmental rights afforded to all Pennsylvanians.”
As Clean Water Campaign Manager, Tompkins works tirelessly to align the necessary resources to support PennFuture’s mission. She fosters collaboration across the organization’s civic engagement, policy, legislative, communications, and legal teams to ensure the success of shared water protection goals. Her role directly impacts the well-being of Pennsylvania’s water systems, helping communities prepare for and mitigate the effects of climate change.
A proud graduate of Allegheny College’s environmental science and sustainability department, Tompkins credits her time at the College as the foundation for her career success.
“I cannot speak highly enough about Allegheny’s environmental science department. Thanks to the support of its incredible faculty and staff, I grew so much in my four years at Allegheny,” Tompkins says. “The interdisciplinary approach of the environmental science major also allowed me to consider environmental challenges from a diversity of lenses, which I am thankful for now as an advocate.”
During her time at Allegheny, Tompkins, who minored in history, participated in water quality research projects and was active in local sustainability efforts, which provided her with practical skills and a deep understanding of the environmental issues facing Pennsylvania. Her academic journey has been crucial in shaping her leadership at PennFuture, where she now champions the protection of waterways that are essential to the state’s ecological and economic future.
Her final role before joining PennFuture was serving as Crawford County’s Assistant Planning Director for Community Development, which allowed Tompkins to gain additional grant administration experience.
“Coordinating community development projects also spurred a love for Pennsylvania local government and its inner workings,” Tompkins says. “That has served me well in my role at PennFuture as so many clean water decisions related to stormwater runoff, drinking water, habitat restoration, and wastewater are made locally.”
As Tompkins continues to make strides in her career, she stands out not only as a leader in environmental protection, but also as a strong example of the impact Allegheny alumni are making in their communities.
“As a person who is not native to Erie or Northwest PA, this opportunity makes me feel even more connected and embedded in this community,” she says. “I’m also thankful for the opportunity to network with and learn from others in the cohort while sharing more about PennFuture’s important work.”
