The She Said Team
Jenette Jurczyk
Jenette joined the She Said team in 2015 as Creative Director of the live shows in Champaign-Urbana. She couldn’t believe her luck that she found this amazing project that aligned with her passion for empowering women and her background in theatre and film. As National Director, Jenette’s vision is to grow The She Said Project into a national theatrical movement that provides a platform for women’s voices to be heard.
Jenette received her BFA and MBA from the University of Illinois. She has lived and worked in NYC and Los Angeles as an actor, writer, director and producer before settling in Central Illinois with her rocket scientist husband and two daughters. She serves her community through organizations like United Way and Junior League of Champaign-Urbana, where she served as president. She is a co-founder and president of The Family Room, an organization to support foster parents and children in her community. She is a motivational speaker and trainer and a recognized community leader. She was named Forty under 40 by Central Illinois Business Magazine and “Outstanding Woman to Know” by the Illini Radio Group.
Kerry Rossow
Kerry Rossow is the proud co-founder of The She Said Project. After eighteen years in the classroom, Kerry Rossow left teaching and found her writing voice on her blog, HouseTalkN. Sharing her life shenanigans, Kerry became a weekly columnist at In The Powder Room. In 2013, following the motto “leap and the net will appear,” Kerry joined a mission trip to Haiti, became a published author of the best selling anthologies, I Just Want To Pee Alone, You Have Lipstick on Your Teeth, and Will Work For Apples, and took to the stage as part of the casts in Listen To Your Mother 2013 and 2014. Her writing has been featured on The Huffington Post, Scary Mommy, and Rants From Mommyland. She has come full circle and returned to the Montessori School of CU.
Kerry lives in Illinois with her patient husband, her embarrassed children and her naughty dog. She is the mom that makes you feel better about yourself.
Kevin McGuire
Kevin McGuire often cites bassoon school as the key to his success, but it’s probably more accurate to state that that key opened the doors which led to myriad experiences, opportunities and adventures in education, marketing, fine and performing arts — involving everything from prepping Madonna’s dressing room to directing a marching band in Los Angeles’ Martin Luther King Parade to attending conventions for bassoonists in Boulder, Las Vegas and Manchester, England.
As an account executive and creative consultant with SYNHERGY MARKETING, Kevin worked with local and national social media campaigns, across several platforms, helping bring awareness and action to important, sometimes life saving, projects. With over 25 years experience as a Union stagehand and stage manager, Kevin carries his “show must go on” mantra into all aspects of his work, taking great pride in helping co-workers and clients achieve maximum potential when the curtain goes up. Having participated behind-the-scenes on all That’s What She Said – Champaign shows, Kevin is extremely proud and honored to work even more closely with The She Said Project team, helping strengthen and empower individuals and communities through the exchange of stories, ideas and solidarity.
Monica Samii
Monica Samii is currently the EMR Informatics Analyst at Christie Clinic with a special focus on Patient Engagement. She is also an active member of the Junior League of C-U. In a past life, she had a short-lived acting career and also directed and choreographed many theatrical productions in her native Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. Monica is enrolled at Indiana Wesleyan University to finally finish her Bachelor’s in Marketing, hopes to pursue a Masters in Healthcare Communication, and might just be the epitome of “never too late.”
To say that she is close to her family would be an understatement. She is fortunate enough to have her immediate family close by, adores being an Aunt to her four nieces and nephew, and is happy to share her life with the biggest love of her life, her daughter, Estella.
Amanda Baker
Amanda, owner of Five Foot Productions (yes, it’s because she’s five feet tall), got her start more than 10 years ago creating videos. Since moving to Champaign in 2009 she’s produced pieces for Visit Champaign County, Visit Chicago Southland, Champaign Park District, 40 North – Champaign County Arts Council, Champaign County Economic Development Corporation, United Way of Champaign County, Illinois Marathon, Hyatt Place, The News-Gazette, Cunningham Children’s Home and many more. You can see her incredible work in all our She Said promos and our web series.
Amanda and her partner-in-crime, Seth, are originally from Rochester, New York and are raising (read: surviving) two tiny humans.
