Jennifer Frizzell Steps Down From Planned Parenthood Leadership Role
 

(CONCORD, NH) - After 15 years of leading the public policy and political work of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England and the Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund, Vice President for Public Policy, Jennifer Frizzell ends her tenure with the organization this week. Frizzell is taking a professional “sabbatical” in 2018, to devote more time to her sons and to community involvement.

Frizzell served as Senior Public Affairs Director for PPNNE from 1999-2007 and then after two terms as State Senate Policy Director she returned to the organization in 2011 as Vice President for Public Policy for New Hampshire.

_{Jennifer Frizzell at a PPNHAF event in 2015}

Starting with passing an innovative “Contraceptive Equity Law” in 1999, and continuing with implementation of the Affordable Care Act a decade later, under Frizzell’s tenure, Planned Parenthood has led the way in protecting and improving birth control access, contributing to New Hampshire’s lowest in the nation rates of unintended pregnancy and pregnancy in teens.

Over the past two decades she coordinated litigation and legislative advocacy to secure and protect access to safe, legal abortion and defeat attacks against the organization and its services, including state and federal lawsuits to open a Planned Parenthood health center in downtown Manchester (2000-2002), the Ayotte vs Planned Parenthood case at the US Supreme Court (2004-2006), the enactment of buffer zone protections (2014) and legislative attacks on abortion too numerous to list.

She aptly navigated the politicization of reproductive health services at the New Hampshire Executive Council, restoring bipartisan support for Planned Parenthood contracts after efforts to defund the organization resulted in public uproar and the election of new leaders to the Council.

Through the Action Fund, Frizzell also led grassroots and voter education campaigns to elect our current all-female Congressional delegation, all strong champions of women’s reproductive health and rights. Most recently in 2017, Frizzell directed Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund PAC’s targeted effort to elect Joyce Craig as the first female mayor of Manchester, a new voice for women’s health and access to care.

“Under Jennifer’s leadership, New Hampshire has had a strong and effective voice championing reproductive rights and access to care,” stated Meagan Gallagher, President & CEO of PPNNE and the PPNHAF. “A majority of New Hampshire voters support access to care at Planned Parenthood, and Jennifer has been a conduit to maintaining bipartisan support for the full range of reproductive health services available at our health centers. Jennifer’s impact on the reproductive rights movement in New Hampshire can hardly be quantified, and all of us at PPNNE extend our gratitude for her service and her incredible dedication to our mission.”

”While there have been many legislative, legal and political victories, and a handful of unwelcome setbacks, I’m most proud to have helped shepherd in a new era of activism and leadership for reproductive and sexual health care: in the halls of the State House, at the polls and on the ballot. Support for the health care, education and advocacy Planned Parenthood offers has never been stronger,” said Jennifer Frizzell reflecting on her departure. “I step away very confident in the ability of a new generation of leaders to preserve and secure the health and rights we have fought for and to build upon the momentum of support that is swelling in our current political environment.”

Frizzell’s last day is Friday, January 12, 2018. We will be announcing the incoming Vice President for Public Policy later this month.