After a career in nursing, senior roles with the Royal College of Nursing and working as a training and development consultant, Jennette found her natural home as a campaigner within political and public life. She was a councillor in Islington for 8 years, including a term as Deputy Mayor, and then was elected to the Greater London Authority as an Assembly Member in 2000. Since 2004 she has represented North East London and in 2008/09 served a term as Chair of the London Assembly.

Previously, Jennette has chaired the Cultural Strategy Group for London, which contained Mayor Livingstone’s pledge to bring the 2012 Olympics to London. She has also chaired the London Health Commission, campaigning successfully for national legislation to ensure a smoke free London. Jennette is a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, successfully establishing Community Safety Boards in her Constituency, and also a member of the UK delegation to the EU Committee of the Regions (COR) where she represents London’s interests at the European level.

In April 2008 Jennette was appointed by the Prime Minister as a Trustee to the Board of the Museum of London. In October 2008 she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of East London for her services to East London and was appointed as a Governor of the University in July 2009. Jennette is currently a council member of the Royal Court Theatre, Governor of Sadler’s Wells Theatre Foundation and patron of the Victoria Climbie Foundation.

In 2007 and 2008 she was included in the Power List as one of Britain’s 50 most influential Black Women. Similarly, Jennette has been in the Evening Standard list of the 1,000 most influential Londoners for 2 years running.

On 13^th June 2009 Jennette was awarded an OBE for her services to local government.