As with so many other Impact100 SJ members, Jill Sayre Lawlor first learned about the organization from founding member Nancy Weber, whom Jill has known for many years. Jill received a call from Nancy and, after attending an information session in 2019, Jill joined and has been active in the organization ever since.
“When I joined, I realized I already knew so many members whose professional and personal accomplishments are inspiring to me. I immediately felt at home.” To further expand her Impact100 network, Jill joined the Events Committee and has served on it since then. “I’m able to utilize my marketing experience to plan and help execute events for current and potential members.”
“I was raised to believe that our purpose in life is to give back, to serve and uplift others.” This commitment of service was instilled in Jill by her father, the late Dr. Charles Sayre, who served as the Senior Pastor of the Haddonfield United Methodist Church for 25 years. And that’s exactly what she does.
Jill’s community service work involves serving on boards of a number of nonprofit organizations. She has been a member of the Walt Whitman Association since 1990, helping to raise awareness of the Walt Whitman House in Camden. She helps organize an annual poetry contest for high school students throughout the Philadelphia region. She also has been a trustee for the South Seaville Camp Meeting Association for the past 6 years and is a member of the Haddonfield Rotary.
It’s no surprise Jill became involved in the Walt Whitman Association. After graduating from Lycoming College with a BA in English and Education, Jill attended graduate school at Villanova, where she selected Walt Whitman as the subject of her thesis. Why Walt Whitman? Jill truly resonated with his focus on democracy, individualism and our connection to nature.
Jill pursued a career in marketing, working at a regional advertising agency before starting her own firm in Philadelphia. She sold the agency after 10 years, to join an agency in Princeton, Winning Strategies. Jill joined Cooper University Health Care in 2007 as Vice President of Marketing, a position she held for the past 14 years. She has three grown children.
Jill feels honored to be a member of Impact100 SJ. “I appreciate the opportunity to learn about our grantees and the good work they are doing. There’s tremendous need in our four-county community, and it’s a privilege for me to be involved in the process of awarding financial resources to local non-profits as they strive to fulfill their missions.”
Jill and her husband Andy Field together have four children and five grandchildren. They split their time between Westmont, Strathmere, and the Eastern Shore of Maryland where they enjoy kayaking, biking and hiking.
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” ~Mahatma Gandhi