About Jenna

Jenna (Klatell) Miara is a lawyer, community volunteer, and proud alumna of Newton Public Schools. A mother of two NPS students, Jenna believes that every student deserves to feel supported, challenged, and valued, and that educators must be equipped with the resources needed to help each student thrive.

Jenna grew up in Waban, attending Angier Elementary, Brown Junior High, and Newton South High School until 11^th grade, when her family relocated to New York City. Newton remained close to Jenna's heart, and after living in Chicago and Los Angeles, she returned home with her own family in 2021. Her son currently attends 5^th grade at Angier and her daughter is an 8^th grader at Brown.

Jenna was raised by educators who instilled in her a lifelong love of learning and a deep respect for the transformative power of education. Jenna's mother was a Head Start teacher who became a Professor of Early Childhood Education. Her father was a Professor of Broadcast Journalism and a devoted Newton Girls Soccer coach. Jenna's husband, Andy, is a comedy writer and Professor of Screenwriting at Emerson College. Jenna was also an instructor at UCLA School of Law and taught Street Law classes to high schoolers in Northern California.

Throughout her career as a lawyer, Jenna has dedicated herself to public service and to bringing people together to solve tough problems. She worked at legal aid organizations and public-interest law firms, and has led several successful campaigns advocating for anti-poverty policies. Jenna currently serves as Executive Director of the Massachusetts IOLTA Committee, a nonprofit that funds civil legal aid programs to help people who cannot afford a lawyer and supports projects to increase access to justice.

Jenna is a leader of Newton Welcomes, a community organization that sponsored a refugee family's move to Newton in 2023 and continues to support them as they build a life of safety, opportunity, and friendship in our city.

Jenna holds a B.A. in History from Columbia College and received her J.D. from Stanford Law School.