Jessica is committed to racial equity and justice, offers a bilingual/bicultural perspective, and has a long history of working with diverse communities. Jessica has close to 20 years of experience working in and alongside social sector organizations. She is now co-owner and Co-CEO of the firm, but joined LFA in 2008 as a Research Assistant to support her clients’ learning and data-informed decision-making efforts. She is skilled at: directing learning and evaluation projects; facilitating collaboration and community engagement; and providing technical assistance, equity-grounded consulting, training, and capacity-building services to organizations to help them integrate reflection and learning into their decision-making processes. Jessica has professional experience in the fields of community engagement, health equity, environmental justice, participatory methods, and is a skilled translator and interpreter. Jessica helped capture LFA’s extensive capacity-building expertise in the development of LFA’s Environmental Education Better Results Toolkit, which she is one of the lead authors.
Before joining LFA in 2008, Jessica was the director of programs for an Oakland-based academic enrichment and scholarship foundation helping Bay Area students who face significant challenges to higher education achieve success in high school, college, and beyond. Jessica also worked as a bilingual community organizer in Silicon Valley providing leadership development and computer literacy workshops to Latina immigrant workers.
Jessica enjoys kayaking and sailing the waterways that surround her home, being enriched by the cultural gifts of the San Francisco Bay area, and is committed to raising a feminist, anti-racist son.
Education
Bachelor of Arts, History, University of California, Santa Cruz
Bachelor of Arts, Latin American and Latina/o Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz
Master of Arts, History, University of Connecticut, Storrs
Selected Project Experience
Implementation of Transforming Health and Health Care Systems Equity Learning Lab for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Evaluation of Gender Health SF transgender surgery care program
Participatory Evaluation Technical Assistance to San Joaquin Valley Health Fund partners
Coaching and Consultation to Student Conservation Association (SCA)
Strategic Planning and Monitoring, Evaluation, & Learning (MEL) Implementation Planning for First 5 Los Angeles
Development of Monitoring & Evaluation System and Evaluation Capacity Building for Rural Education and Development (READ) Global
Evaluation Capacity Building for S.D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation’s LEAPS (Leadership and Evaluation to Advance Program Success) for Environmental Literacy Initiative
Evaluation of Solano County Health and Social Services Department’s Nurse-Family Partnership
Evaluation of Weingart Foundation’s Developmental Disabilities Initiative
Evaluation Planning and Technical Assistance for Calaveras County’s Behavioral Health Services
Evaluation and Technical Assistance for the Boys and Girls Clubs of North San Mateo County