This fall, the Bryan County News will publish profiles of 20 outstanding individuals from Bryan County under the age of 40 who work and study across a range of disciplines. Each person has answered a short Q+A as part of their selection. Answers edited for length and clarity.

Name: Jennifer Cohn

Age: 38

Background: I am a Bryan County local, born & raised, and I graduated from Bryan County High School in 2006. After high school, I explored different options in college, where I then decided my heart was set on becoming a police officer. In 2015, I joined the police academy, and later I hit the streets running as a local police officer and then detective. After the birth of my third child in 2020, COVID-19 hit our world hard, and I decided my kids needed me home more with them.

My husband and I decided to open an HVAC company as we were sitting on the front porch, putting two great minds together on how we were going to make this happen. The following Monday, we opened Platinum Air Repair LLC and never looked back. Alongside my husband, Cory, I have helped build Platinum Air Repair from the ground up into a growing residential and commercial HVAC company serving Bryan County and surrounding communities. Balancing family, public service, and the demands of growing a small business has taught me the importance of hard work, consistency, and taking care of the community that supports you.

Future: Being named one of Bryan County News' 20 Under 40 is an incredible honor, especially because Bryan County is our home. I'm proud of what our family and team have built, but I'm even more excited about what is still ahead. Our goal with Platinum Air Repair is bigger than simply growing a business, we want to create good careers, serve our neighbors the right way, and build something our children can be proud of.

I hope our story shows other people that you don't have to start with everything figured out. You can build something meaningful through hard work, perseverance, and refusing to quit when things get difficult. I'm grateful to Bryan County for supporting our family and our business, and I look forward to continuing to give that support back.