Jess is currently a PhD student at the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Missouri – St. Louis, focusing her studies on online radicalization and extremism. She also serves on the board as Advancement Committee Chair for St. Louis Survivors Legal Support (SLSLS). She received a double bachelor’s degree in Sociology and International Studies from St. Louis University and an M.A. in Public Relations from Webster University.
She began her career in non-profit management, communications, events management, outreach and community relations twenty years ago at the World Affairs Council, where she worked to bring international diplomacy to St. Louis through programming and education as Director of Programs and Administration for 10 years. She then spent over five years as Manager of Events and Education at a mortgage cooperative called Lenders One, where she organized and led conferences and events as well as events-related marketing initiatives. She was Director of Competition for Arch Grants, leading the Startup Competition’s outreach, marketing, and evaluation processes to provide startup founders who want to grow in St. Louis with grant funding. Most recently, she served as Managing Director at Counterpublic, a public arts non-profit hosting the largest triennial art exhibition in the U.S., leading operations, membership, donor and special events, logistics, facilities management, and finance. She’s also been an adjunct professor at Webster University, where she taught media literacy for several years.
Email: jab0f3@umsl.edu
