Name: Jennifer Pieson (I prefer Jen or Jenny)
Your position at Agili: Financial Planning Analyst
Educational background: I have a degree in English (writing) from East Stroudsburg University and a Registered Paraplanner designation through the College for Financial Planning. I’ve also taken coursework toward my CFP.
Describe your family. My husband Mike and I have three children: Gage (11), Lila (9) and Josephine (6). They are great kids and make me laugh every day! My sister Sarah works at JPP as well. I began working here 13 years ago, when Sarah went on maternity leave with her first child.
What motivates you? Solving puzzles! I love to receive questions from clients and think my way through to the most effective answer – it’s very satisfying. I also enjoy co-managing the JPP Blog and Newsletter because I like to write and I have learned a lot about formatting and publishing on different platforms.
What are your hobbies/charities/sports (active or fan)? When I have the time I like to write fiction – short stories and novellas. I enjoy baking from scratch – especially yeast doughs (pizza, bread, English muffins). I also like to cook, and learned a lot about it when, all through college, I worked in the kitchen of a fine dining restaurant (Inn of the Falcon, for those of you familiar with the Lehigh Valley).
What is your favorite vacation spot? Every year my family vacations at Rehoboth Beach for a week, and we’ve been doing this since I was very young. Now my two sisters and I have our own families and we all still go – and stay in one house! There are 17 of us now.
Are you a cat or dog person? Dog, definitely. I’m allergic to cats and they always seem tricky to me – like they’re planning something behind my back.
What is your most memorable or favorite book? My most memorable book is This Perfect Day by Ira Levin. I first read it when I was maybe twelve, and it was the first book I read that made me think about how very big the world is, and how, in fiction, anything is possible. It had a huge impact on me and I still love to read it. I’m always reading (or re-reading!) something – often by James Herriot, Stephen King or Torey Hayden.
What is your most memorable or favorite movie? My favorite movie is The Labyrinth, which I watched many times when I was young. Now I watch it with my kids and we all sing the songs. Loudly.
What is your favorite food or type of food? My favorite food is tapas (small portions of many different appetizers, usually Spanish cuisine), because I love to try new things and I like having a lot of variety in one meal.