Roger & Dorothy Jennings
one of Chapel Hill’s most successful companies. They created a family business that grew from a staff of 3 to more than 17, serving a national clientele and earning numerous awards for outstanding work. The Jenningses arrived in Chapel Hill in 1965. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1966, Roger joined WCHL and worked his way up from ad salesman to station manager. He developed the concept for the Village Advocate, a weekly circular chock full of classified and display advertising, community
notices and more. In 1979, Roger purchased Village Graphics from Jim Heavner and co-founded the new company with Dorothy. The Jenningses are tenacious and they pursued their new venture with energy and enthusiasm. Roger focused on the creative side while
Dorothy managed the finances. The duo also owned WHNI, a radio station in Mebane in the early 1980s.
Today, Jennings is a nationally renowned healthcare marketing firm. Still headquarted in Chapel Hill, the company also has offices in Boston and Boca Raton. To date, the agency has employed more than 100 people, drawn by its creative chops and company culture. Roger and Dorothy created an environment in which employees were encouraged to keep learning, motivated to produce top-quality work, and
compensated fairly for their successes. The couple led the company until they retired in 2012. Daughter Paige Jennings Zinn and
business partner Dan Dunlop now helm the family business. The Jenningses gave back to the community through civic engagement and
service provision. The agency provides pro bono work and in-kind contributions to many community causes and organizations. Their support approaches $100,000 in market value. Roger led the East Chapel Hill Rotary Club as president in 1983, and continues to mentor younger members. In 1986, he was named a Paul Harris Fellow, the highest honor bestowed upon a Rotarian. He also chaired the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce in 1988—a role Paige reprised in 2013. Additionally, The Roger and Dorothy Jennings entrepreneurship Scholarship at the UNC School of Media and Journalism is awarded annually to a student in the advertising sequence who is entrepreneurial, creative and a self-starter.
For generating good jobs that are vital to our local economy, and for supporting community organizations generously, we proudly induct Dorothy and Roger Jennings into the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Business Hall of Fame.
notices and more. In 1979, Roger purchased Village Graphics from Jim Heavner and co-founded the new company with Dorothy. The Jenningses are tenacious and they pursued their new venture with energy and enthusiasm. Roger focused on the creative side while
Dorothy managed the finances. The duo also owned WHNI, a radio station in Mebane in the early 1980s.
Today, Jennings is a nationally renowned healthcare marketing firm. Still headquarted in Chapel Hill, the company also has offices in Boston and Boca Raton. To date, the agency has employed more than 100 people, drawn by its creative chops and company culture. Roger and Dorothy created an environment in which employees were encouraged to keep learning, motivated to produce top-quality work, and
compensated fairly for their successes. The couple led the company until they retired in 2012. Daughter Paige Jennings Zinn and
business partner Dan Dunlop now helm the family business. The Jenningses gave back to the community through civic engagement and
service provision. The agency provides pro bono work and in-kind contributions to many community causes and organizations. Their support approaches $100,000 in market value. Roger led the East Chapel Hill Rotary Club as president in 1983, and continues to mentor younger members. In 1986, he was named a Paul Harris Fellow, the highest honor bestowed upon a Rotarian. He also chaired the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce in 1988—a role Paige reprised in 2013. Additionally, The Roger and Dorothy Jennings entrepreneurship Scholarship at the UNC School of Media and Journalism is awarded annually to a student in the advertising sequence who is entrepreneurial, creative and a self-starter.
For generating good jobs that are vital to our local economy, and for supporting community organizations generously, we proudly induct Dorothy and Roger Jennings into the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Business Hall of Fame.