Valerie is a board member of the Jacobs Family Foundation and Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation. She also serves on the board of Mainly Mozart in San Diego. Valerie is the founder of Valerie Jacobs Consulting, dedicated to providing direct consultation support to individual philanthropists and family foundations. In addition, Valerie is a nationally-known speaker and has created a series of workshops for women of wealth and wealthy families dealing with both philanthropy and family dynamics. She has been a licensed psychotherapist since 1979, specializing in the effects of wealth on relationships and personal well-being, and has worked in the field of philanthropy since 1994. Valerie holds a bachelor of arts degree in physical anthropology from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a masters of education from California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo.
Valerie is married to Norm Hapke, and they have two children.