VM Spotlight: Meet Jennifer Doughty!
Hello! Thank you for supporting VM and reading our newsletters. Whether you are a longtime friend, esteemed acquaintance, trusted client, respected colleague, or have just stumbled upon our investigations law firm, we are happy you are here! To show our appreciation, we want to properly introduce ourselves. Each month, we will be highlighting different members of our team, so you can learn all about who we are both inside and outside of the workplace and campus investigations field.
This month, we are delighted to put the VM Spotlight on one of our Partners, Jennifer “Jen” Doughty. Jen is the Firm’s longest employee. She recently celebrated her 10-year anniversary with VM! She has played many roles during her tenure, but currently leads complex team investigations, oversees case intake and assignments, coordinates new attorney training, and serves as a mentor to our team. Outside of the Firm, Jen is a wife, mother and retired competitive swimmer and coach who is still learning how to be just a parent spectator. Jen also loves dogs. She now owns an energetic Chocolate Lab, but previously had five Basset Hounds, including a family of three that she rescued in 2015 so they could remain together in their aging years.
We are very grateful to Jen for her many contributions to the Firm as both an outstanding employee and a wonderful coworker. She was able to take a few minutes out of her busy schedule to sit down and chat with Nicole Beaudry, VM’s Intake and Training Coordinator. To learn more about Jen, you can read her interview below.
NB: How do you feel about celebrating your 10th year with VM?
JD: It has been an amazing journey. I was the first full-time attorney Sue Ann and Deborah hired. I have had a front-row seat as our Firm has grown and changed over the years—it has been quite a thrill. I am really excited for the future with this team.
NB: What do you love most about the work we do?
JD: As part of our investigations practice, I love talking to people and hearing about their experiences and perspective. People are fascinating. While there are some common themes in the type of work we handle, every matter is different. I love the variety of work and situations that we investigate.
NB: What do you love most about your position, specifically?
JD: In my current role, I work a lot with our new Associates on training and development. I love teaching and helping them discover the world of workplace investigations. I also love talking to new potential clients about our work and telling callers about our awesome team.
NB: What is one thing most people don’t know about you?
JD: There are probably many things most people do not know about me. It is hard to think of just one. I have lived in six states. I have a scar in the shape of a (partial) horse shoe on my forearm after a horse bucked me off and I fell in front of him (I was ok—nothing broken). I worked for a summer at a castle my cousin turned into a bed-and-breakfast in Austria—I built a fence, cleared dirt out from the bottom of the 1,000-year-old tower, and served breakfast to guests.
NB: What is the biggest challenge you face on a consistent basis? How do you overcome it?
JD: My biggest challenge is probably time management—I juggle many tasks, and it is hard sometimes to find time to get everything done as quickly as I would like to. Although it is a constant challenge, I have found that using my calendar and planning tasks in a set time frame helps me cross things off of my to-do list.
NB: What is an essential part of your daily routine?
JD: Taking time to exercise, get outside, and spend time with my family.
NB: What is your greatest professional accomplishment?
JD: Being elevated to partner at VM in 2019 and hitting ten years with the Firm in 2022.
NB: At our Firm, what are you the most grateful for?
JD: Our team, our people. We have assembled a top-notch group of professionals—they are smart, friendly, and fun. It is a joy working with such a distinguished and talented group on a day-to-day basis.
NB: What is the most influential piece of advice you’ve been given?
JD: When I graduated from high school, a prominent individual who later became a Secretary of State and National Security Advisor spoke at our baccalaureate. She encouraged the graduates to “Find your passion.” I will never forget her words.
NB: What’s your definition of teamwork?
JD: Growing up, I loved collecting motivational quotes and sayings. One I specifically remember is an acronym for T.E.A.M.: Together Everyone Achieves More. To me, teamwork is working together to achieve a common goal. Everyone works hard and pitches in to achieve a common objective—together. I was an athlete and involved in team sports growing up and through college—I have carried many of the values and skills I learned from team sports into my professional career. Some that come to mind are trust, communication, perseverance, and dedication. To me, these are essential elements of teamwork.
NB: Where is your favorite place in the world to visit?
JD: Kauai!
NB: What skill that others have do you wish you could master?
JD: I would like to master the art of “living in the moment.” It is easy to get caught up in daily routines and schedules, and to forget to take time to relish and appreciate the good things. I admire people that are able to master that skill.
NB: What do you think it means to be successful?
JD: There are many ways to define success and what it means to be “successful.” On a small scale, I think being successful comes from feeling you have accomplished a goal or objective, and feeling good about how you got there.
We are very grateful for Jen’s constant guidance of our team, and her fun-loving partnership. If you would like to congratulate Jen for her 10-year anniversary, please comment on our LinkedIn post. Thank you for celebrating Jen with us, and check out next month’s edition of the VM Spotlight where we will highlight another valued member of our valued team.
Check out Jen’s choices in February’s VM Recommends, our monthly article on what you should be reading, watching or listening to.