Jennifer L. Howse became president of the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation in January 1990. Under Dr. Howse's leadership, the March of Dimes has achieved unprecedented revenue growth and significant expansion of mission initiatives.

Dr. Howse joined the March of Dimes as Executive Director of the Greater New York Chapter. Prior to that, Dr. Howse held a number of top public service positions in health related organizations, including State Commissioner for Mental Retardation in Pennsylvania, Associate Commissioner of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities for New York State, and Executive Director of the Federal Court Appointed Willowbrook Review Panel.

Dr. Howse holds a Ph.D. in psycholinguistics from Florida State University. She serves on the Board of The Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California and chairs the Advisory Board of The Center for Family Life in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. She has served as an advisor to the Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the HHS Secretary's National Commission on Infant Mortality. She is a member of the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, the European Genetics Foundation Board, and the Pew Environmental Health Commission.