Jennifer Woodward
Age: 30
City of residence: St. Simons Island
Current title: Criminal Intelligence Analyst
Place of business: Georgia Bureau of Investigation
Professional responsibilities: I am currently the analyst assigned to the Kingsland and Douglas GBI field offices. My main role is to provide actionable intelligence and analysis in support of criminal investigations and public safety/homeland security assessments for local, state and federal law enforcement officers. I also develop and write strategic products on criminal trends and tactical alerts and advisories for dissemination to the public and law enforcement.
Accomplishments/Honors: I was the primary analyst on cases that won GBI Director’s Awards in 2021, 2023 and 2024 and a GBI Deputy Director’s Award in 2024. I was awarded GISAC Analyst of the Year in 2021. I was recently promoted to Supervisory Intelligence Analyst effective on July 1st.
Community Involvement: I have been involved with the Camden County Alzheimer's Project since it was founded in 2019 and was elected as an advisory board member in 2024. Each year, I volunteer at various fundraising events to include the Walk and have been a Team Captain for 6 years. I also volunteer with Satilla Advocacy Services, a child advocacy center and sexual assault center that services counties in South Georgia.
Why did you go into your particular field? I partially blame my dad for letting me watch too many crime shows growing up! But also, I have always had a desire to help and serve others.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be a teacher which I still get to do some in my current role.
What was your first job? Assistant swim coach for a neighborhood, summer league team.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received? If you know better, do better. Not making a decision, is still making a decision.
What’s your favorite thing about your job? The work I get to do and the people I get to do it with. I recognize that the work I do makes a difference, and I am grateful that I get to do it. This work is even more rewarding because of the agents and other analysts I get to work with and the relationships I have made throughout my career.
What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first started your career? You know more than you think you do and be confident in your decisions. I have worked cases that I never would have thought of when I first started and have learned something from every one of them.
Who do you consider to be your greatest mentor and why? Mrs. Cindy Nelson was the Office Manager for the GBI Kingsland office before she retired from the State of Georgia in 2023 after almost 30 years of service. I started this job right out of college and was overwhelmed in navigating life and a career. Mrs. Cindy took me under her wing and I am so grateful she did. She has more integrity and grace than anyone I know and reinforced those values in me. Her unwavering faith in God and her encouragement of those around her have influenced my career and who I am as a person more than she’ll ever acknowledge!
When you’re not at work, what do you do to relax? I enjoy going on walks with my dog Lainey and going to the beach, especially combining the two!
What is something about you that most people don’t know? My first car was a 1988 Jeep Wagoneer which I loved and miss dearly.
How do you hope to grow in your career? I hope to continue to support and serve others and grow as a leader in my new role as supervisor.
If you couldn’t do what you’re doing now, what would you be doing? I would probably be working in sports as either a journalist or in digital media.