Who We Are

Jennifer Godfrey is the CEO of Utah Community Action (UCA), one of Utah’s largest and longest-running nonprofit organizations. UCA is dedicated to empowering individuals, strengthening families, and building communities through education and self-reliance programs. With over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Jennifer has dedicated her career to addressing immediate needs and creating long-term solutions for low-income families.

Under Jennifer’s visionary leadership, UCA has achieved remarkable milestones, including:

• Developing one of the nation’s first sustainable Head Start nutrition programs, providing over 5,000 nutritious meals daily to children in need.
• Launching Utah’s first homeless diversion program, offering over 700 individuals annually proactive pathways to housing stability.
• Securing New Market Tax Credits (NMTC) to build a state-of-the-art Head Start facility.

Jennifer’s journey with UCA began in 2000 as a Head Start Teacher. Since then, she has risen to lead an organization of over 550 employees. Her leadership is grounded in collaboration, strategic planning, and operational excellence—fostering a culture of accountability and innovation that drives measurable impact.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Family & Human Development from the University of Utah and dual Master’s degrees in Education and Counseling. As a licensed clinical mental health counselor, Jennifer brings a holistic, trauma-informed perspective to supporting families and communities.

Jennifer’s passion for equity, food security, housing stability, and educational access has earned her several prestigious honors. In 2012, her innovative work around nutrition and wellness was recognized by First Lady Michelle Obama. She was named one of Utah Business’ “30 Women to Watch” in 2016, honored as a Pathfinder by the Salt Lake Chamber, and most recently, in 2025, she was recognized as CEO of the Year by Utah Business magazine.

Jennifer is the proud mother of two daughters and lives in Salt Lake City with her husband of 25 years. She remains deeply committed to advancing UCA’s mission to remove barriers and build opportunities—ensuring equity, dignity, and respect for all.

J. Janell Cerva is the Chief Impact & Strategy Officer for Utah Community Action. Janell oversees the Data & Policy Team, and manages Resource Development, Communications, and Marketing across the agency. She also leads strategic initiatives based on how the agency can leverage assets and strengthen partnerships to better meet the needs of the community, especially families and children experiencing poverty. These currently include affordable housing development and the expansion of high-quality early childhood programs. Prior to joining Utah Community Action, Janell directed cross-sector collaboration addressing homelessness and housing in Salt Lake County on behalf of Mayor Ben McAdams, and lead early childhood regional and community-based partnerships for United Way of Salt Lake. Janell graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English and Political Science from Brigham Young University, a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Utah, and is currently completing her PhD in Educational Leadership & Policy at the University of Utah.

Patrice Dickson is currently the Chief Operations Officer and Assistant Head Start Director for Utah Community Action. Ms. Dickson oversees two of the agency’s six core programs, Head Start and HEAT, leading more than 400 staff.

Ms. Dickson’s responsibilities include oversight and program management for Head Start staff and operations, as well as HEAT program staff and operations to ensure grant compliance, and quality holistic services for children and families in poverty. Ms. Dickson has extensive experience working to improve and support the family unit across Utah communities. Her involvements spans from delivering family advocacy and early education services to managing utility assistance. Her past experience includes work in homeless and housing services in collaboration with State and local leaders, including oversight of diversion services in the homeless resource centers. Prior to her transition into Utah Community Action, she instructed parenting and communication skills classes for a substance abuse program, worked on a project for women inmates at the Utah State Prison, and served on Women’s Legislative Council. Currently, Ms. Dickson serves on a range of committees for early childhood education and the 211 Steering Committee. She is a member of the Board of Directors for Genshai and was a past Board Member for United Cerebral Palsy.

Ms. Dickson holds a Bachelor of Science in Family & Consumer Sciences. She also holds a Family Development Specialist Certification.

Sahil Oberoi is the Chief Operating Officer for Utah Community Action. Sahil oversees the Housing and Case Management Department, which includes our Housing Team, Mediation Team, and Adult Education Team, Homeless Services and our centralized Intake team for the agency. He works closely with community partners to ensure that we are able to deliver services geared towards homeless prevention. Sahil has worked in the social services sector for the past 9 years and is committed to providing clients equitable access to services so they may achieve self-reliance. Sahil graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Philosophy from Utah State University and received his Juris Doctorate from Seattle University’s School of Law.

Stacy Weight is currently the Chief Administrative Officer of Utah Community Action, which runs 6 distinct programs, 1 of which is Utah’s largest Head Start program serving approximately 1,400 children and their families living in poverty.

Mrs. Weight’s responsibilities include leading functions of nutrition services, human resources, information technology, finance, and accounting. Prior to being with Head Start, Ms. Weight was a Senior Innovator/VP Finance for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

Mrs. Weight has a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Utah Valley State College and a MBA from Westminster College. She has been a licensed CPA since 2009. She currently sits on the Executive Board of the Utah Association of Certified Public Accounts as the AICPA Council Representative. She earned CPA of the Year Award, Business and Management Category, UACPA 2016.