BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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Jill M. Blackwell
Founder Jill has worn many hats in her career, beginning as a classically trained French Chef. As her family expanded, Jill transitioned out of commercial kitchens becoming the Director of Catering and Customer Service of Sutton Place Gourmet, a Washington D.C. based gourmet food enterprise. While there, Jill orchestrated catering events from five to five thousand, with a who’s who list of clientele. Jill’s training carried over into her own upscale catering business, Creative Catering. She owned and managed her rapidly growing business while raising four children, Jordan, Reed, Olivia and Noah. They have kept her busy but most especially Olivia (Liv) who has Autism and Epilepsy and all that entails. When Jill was ready to rejoin the workforce, Liv’s teacher encouraged Jill to work in the Special Education department for Frisco ISD and so she did. The most rewarding and fulfilling decade of her life has been working with K-5th graders with all levels of abilities teaching her more than she taught them. With a special needs daughter whom just entered adulthood, the need for a community for Olivia to call her own is the driving force of Jill’s life now. Following Darin’s lead made sense in co-founding The Olive Branch-Frisco. Jill has been married to her best friend, Darin, for 26 years and credits him with keeping her sane. |