Valerie Blanchette Rockefeller Wayne is an American environmentalist, philanthropist and member of the

Rockefeller family The Rockefeller family () is an American industrial, political, and banking family that owns one of the world's largest fortunes. The fortune was made in the American petroleum industry during the late 19th and early 20th centuries by brot ...

. She is a great-great-granddaughter of

John D. Rockefeller John Davison Rockefeller Sr. (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American business magnate and philanthropist. He has been widely considered the wealthiest American of all time and the richest person in modern history. Rockefeller was ...

. Wayne currently serves as co-chair of BankFWD, a network to persuade banks to phase out financing for fossil fuel and to lead on climate. She previously served as chair to the

Rockefeller Brothers Fund The Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF) is a philanthropic foundation created and run by members of the Rockefeller family. It was founded in New York City in 1940 as the primary philanthropic vehicle for the five third-generation Rockefeller brothe ...

. She currently also serves on the board of trustees for several organizations, including

Achievement First Achievement First is a charter school network in the United States. Achievement First operates schools in Connecticut (beginning with Amistad Academy in New Haven in 1999 along with other schools in New Haven, Bridgeport and Hartford), New York C ...

Asian Cultural Council The Asian Cultural Council (ACC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing international cultural exchange between Asia and the U.S. and between the countries of Asia through the arts. Founded by John D. Rockefeller III in 1963, AC ...

Teachers College, Columbia University Teachers College, Columbia University (TC), is the graduate school of education, health, and psychology of Columbia University, a private research university in New York City. Founded in 1887, it has served as one of the official faculties and ...

Greenwich Academy Greenwich Academy is an independent, college-preparatory day school for girls in Greenwich, Connecticut. Founded in 1827, it is the oldest girls' school in Connecticut. Greenwich Academy's motto is ''Ad Ingenium Faciendum,'' "Toward the Building o ...

Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History was founded in New York City by businessmen-philanthropists Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman in 1994 to promote the study and interest in American history. The Institute serves teachers, studen ...

Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that currently advises on and manages more than $200 million in annual charitable giving. Its headquarters are in New York City New York, oft ...

and The Trust for Mutual Understanding.

Early life and education

Rockefeller was born at Charleston, West Virginia to

Jay Rockefeller John Davison "Jay" Rockefeller IV (born June 18, 1937) is a retired American politician who served as a United States senator from West Virginia (1985–2015). He was first elected to the Senate in 1984, while in office as governor of West Virg ...

and

Sharon Percy Rockefeller Sharon Lee Percy Rockefeller (born December 10, 1944) is the wife of former West Virginia Senator John Davison "Jay" Rockefeller IV and served as that state's First Lady from 1977 to 1985. On November 21, 2019, she was awarded the National Med ...

as the second eldest child. She has three brothers, including

Justin Rockefeller Justin Aldrich Rockefeller (born July 12, 1979) is an American impact investor and financial technology professional. He is a great-great grandson of John D. Rockefeller. Rockefeller was born on July 12, 1979, in West Virginia, the youngest son ...

. She completed a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in

International Relations International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such a ...

at Stanford University and completed a MAT in Secondary Social Studies from

. She also holds a

Master of Education The Master of Education (MEd or M.Ed. or Ed.M.; Latin ''Magister Educationis'' or ''Educationis Magister'') is a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. This degree in education often includes the following majors: curriculum a ...

from

Bank Street College of Education Bank Street College of Education is a private school and graduate school in New York City. It consists of a graduate-only teacher training college and an independent nursery-through-8th-grade school. In 2020 the graduate school had about 65 full ...

Career

Her professional background is as a middle school special education teacher. She began her teaching career at Central Park East Secondary School in

East Harlem, New York East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem or and historically known as Italian Harlem, is a neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, New York City, roughly encompassing the area north of the Upper East Side and bounded by 96th Street to the south, F ...

and also taught in Australia (where she met her first husband).

Personal life

Rockefeller was married twice; initially she married James Douglas Carnegie in 2000, which resulted in divorce without children. On September 19, 2004, she married Steven William Wayne (b. 1966), with whom she has three children; daughters Percy and Lucy, and son, Davis. Her husband is the founder and chief executive officer of Jensen Group NV. They reside in

Old Greenwich, Connecticut Old Greenwich is an affluent coastal village in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 6,611. The town of Greenwich is one political and taxing body, but consists of several distinct section ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wayne, Valerie Rockefeller 1972 births Living people American philanthropists Rockefeller family Winthrop family Stanford University alumni Columbia University alumni People from Pocahontas County, West Virginia Philanthropists from Connecticut People from Greenwich, Connecticut People from Charleston, West Virginia