Meet Jessica
Jessica is a proud parent of two children attending PVSchools. Jessica has been an active parent volunteer at the elementary, middle, high school, and district level at PV Schools for more than a decade. She has been an advocate at the state and local level for increased funding for Arizona’s public schools and has volunteered to help successfully pass bond and override elections for PVSchools since 2017.
Jessica is an attorney with a versatile legal background, having pursued professional opportunities guided by her passion for service and advocating for communities and families.
As a product of K-12 public education herself, Jessica understands the importance of a strong public education system for our communities.
Jessica will bring strong and steady leadership to the district and work to ensure that every PV student has the resources and support they need to achieve success.
Jessica cares deeply about the PV Community and is running to make sure:
(1) PV students have the resources and support they need to achieve success.
(2) PV students have various pathways and opportunities to achieve academic excellence.
(3) PVSchools is the preferred choice for families, teachers, and staff.
(4) PVSchools have transparent school and district policies and practices that serve all PV students.
Jessica’s PV Story
Jessica ‘s family moved to Arizona in 2011 when her daughter was in preschool and her son was two months old. From the time her oldest started kindergarten, Jessica has been an active parent at the elementary, middle, high school, and district level at PV Schools.
Volunteer highlights:
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Parent representative on Desert Shadows Elementary (DSES) site council (see, A.R.S. 15-35. Site Council, duties; membership)
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DSES PTA Talent Show Chair
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PVUSD liaison for Waste Not Food Recovery Program
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DSES Waste Not Recovery Program Chair
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Yes for PV Students Communications Lead and Volunteer Coordinator
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Served on various committees including the PVUSD Superintendent’s Community Legislative Network, PVSchools Strategic Planning Committee, bond/override election committees, hiring committees, and more. See, current PVUSD Committees here.
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Served as PV's United Parent Council (UPC) Representative at DSES, DSMS, and Horizon High School
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United Parent Council Communications Chair
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United Parent Council President
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Started UPC's Outreach Committee. Today the committee works with PVSchools staff and community partners to serve PV families, students and staff. Committee highlights include (i) organizing annual holiday food and toy drives benefitting PV Families in need, (ii) organizing and fundraising for PVSchool Bus Driver Appreciation Events, (iii) developing and maintaining a high school care closet stocked with personal care products, food, clothing, and more, (iv) organizing and fundraising for an annual celebration of Instructional Assistant Appreciation Day for IA’s across the district.
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United Parent Council Outreach Co-Chair
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Horizon High School's Broadway Under the Stars Matinee Chair
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Accents Horizon High School Booster Club Executive Board Member
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Regularly volunteered at school events like the spring carnival, bingo, parent teacher lunches, STEAM nights, Scholastic Book Fair, and more!
Other Volunteer Highlights:
- Statewide and local advocacy for safe schools and increased per pupil funding for Arizona students (See, Arizona Capital Times article, Arizona Continues to Trail in per pupil funding (April 2023).
- Arizona State University Clean Air Partnership with Arizona K-12 schools (2021-2023).
- Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC), Community Breakfast Committee member (2016-2021) & Public Policy Steering Committee member (2019-2021).
- Pro bono legal services
- Sandra Day O'Conner College of Law School where she focused on research and programmatic efforts aimed at enhancing effective governance and regulation of innovation to benefit communities. Part of this work included her publication in the Journal of Law, Medicine, and Ethics where she co-authored the paper Voluntary Registries to Support Improved Interaction Between Police and People Living with Dementia with a focus on evaluating pro-active community-based solutions in Phoenix, Arizona.
- Arizona State University where Jessica collaborated with professionals and students across various disciplines to conduct research focused on evaluating and improving the physical and educational settings in K-12 schools. Jessica and the ASU team were awarded the Arizona State University’s President's Award in Innovation for their work bringing cleaner indoor air to Arizona's K-12 schools.
- Her research at ASU significantly influenced her perspective on the importance of creative solution-oriented problem solving and legal governance that considers the emergence of new technology as a part of our new world and way of life. This work also informed her position on the criticality of establishing safe and conducive physical environments for students. This encompasses the upkeep of school buildings in compliance with environmental standards that prioritize the health and overall well-being of all children.
- Today, Jessica practices family law, focusing on providing comprehensive support to families in various legal matters. She prioritizes the well-being of her clients and tailors legal strategies to promote healing, growth, and overall happiness for families.