For Scott Loeffler, purpose and service are the foundation of his work and of his life. Since joining the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation (JJK) in August 2023 as Chief Facilities & Maintenance Officer, Scott has used his decades of experience in construction and operations to build something deeper than infrastructure. He’s helping strengthen the heartbeat of the Foundation itself.
Before coming to the JJK, Scott spent 20 years in the for-profit sector working as a construction project
manager, including 15 years working at Padgett Building & Remodeling. His first experience in serving for a nonprofit organization was in youth workforce development at R3 Development, also teaching as an instructor for a Southwestern Illinois College construction pre-apprenticeship called Highway Construction Career Training Program, and lastly becoming the Director of Operations for Lansdowne UP. But even then, he felt something was missing.
“To me, it’s not about the money. It’s about the purpose,” Scott says. “When you come to work at JJK, you’re not just doing a job. You’re serving a mission. You’re serving people. You’re serving something bigger than yourself.”
That mindset shows up in every project Scott touches from building and renovation to mentoring and planning. One of his early efforts was helping set up a massive passive solar greenhouse, the first of its kind in the United States. The structure was delivered packed like sardines into two large freighter trailers. The instructions were in Mandarin and there were staffing changes on his team. Did that stop, Scott? No. He utilized Jackie’s Winning in Life Principals and made it happen. Today the greenhouse captures the suns energy, using very little electricity for year-round growing.
He’s also been deeply involved with the development of the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Food, Agriculture, and Nutrition Innovation Center (FAN), a 24,000-square-foot space designed to demonstrate how food, science, and innovation work together to help people thrive. And as the Foundation expands its STEAM and agriculture programs, Scott’s leadership is helping turn visionary concepts into functional, inspiring learning environments.
Working at JJK has also deepened Scott’s understanding of empathy. “You can’t serve without empathy,” he notes. “You have to really see people to understand what they need and how your work can make their day a little better.” For him, every repaired door, every bright new classroom, and every safe, welcoming space represents an act of care.
He believes this culture of empathy and excellence comes directly from Jackie Joyner-Kersee’s vision: a vision that now belongs to everyone who walks through the doors. “Jackie’s vision isn’t just hers anymore,” Scott said. “It’s everyone’s. It’s in every coach, every teacher, every volunteer, every one of us who shows up with a servant’s heart. Jackie sets the standard, and we carry it forward.”
Scott says, “We have the day-to-day inspiration of a former Olympic champion gold medalist. We have Jackie’s name on this building, and that means something. Everything she achieved, every medal, every victory, came from hard work, grit, and determination. When you know her story and her heart, you want to honor that. That’s why I lead my team to keep things excellent, to make sure everything we do reflects the standard she set.”
Scott oversaw the construction of the new football field and the conversion of an old storage warehouse into a state-of-the-art wrestling center. He’s quick to point out that those aren’t just land plots and buildings. Scott explains, “They’re places where kids see what’s possible. Working with architects, engineers, and coaches to create spaces where kids can touch, build, grow, and imagine. Every wall, every pipe, every bolt means something because it’s part of their future.”
Scott often explains to new team members that working at JJK is a calling. “I tell them, if you’re just here for a paycheck, then this isn’t the place for you,” he said. “But if you’re here to serve, and if you care about these kids and this community, then you’re in the right place.”
He also credits his wife for encouraging him to make the leap from the for-profit world to nonprofit service. “She saw that God was calling me to something different,” he said. “She told me, ‘Just do it. We’ll figure it out. Trust God on this one.’” That trust and the faith it represents continue to guide him.
“We’re planting 1,000 trees around JJK, and with every tree, I want young people to see their own purpose grow and to know they’re not here to be mediocre, but to give everything they’ve got and make this place better.”
Today, Scott sees every project at the JJK Foundation as a chance to live out that purpose. “You’ve got to have a reason to wake up every day,” he said. “For me, that reason is right here in these halls, in these kids, in this mission.”
In 2025, the Jackie Joyner Kersee Foundation is celebrating 25 Years of fueling the dream by providing
afterschool and summer camp programs for thousands of youths fostering confidence through two core pillars: Athletics and Education. They have cheered for young athletes both on the field and off where they learn about structure, sportsmanship, and Jackie Joyner-Kersee’s Winning in Life® principles. The Foundation also built the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Academy where elementary scholars are empowered to achieve success through academics. And most recently, as mentioned, the building of the Jackie Joyner-Kersee (JJK) Food, Agriculture, Nutrition (FAN) Innovation Center through a unique collaboration between the JJK Foundation, the University of Illinois, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, and Lansdowne UP. This collaboration amplifies their ability to provide educational programming in agriculture, STEAM, food innovation, nutrition, physical activity, and entrepreneurialism.
And they are just getting started. The Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation will continue to fuel the dream for the next 25 years and beyond.
