Director of Client Services and Community Partnerships
Jessica is an Eden Prairie native. For 10 years, she worked in public housing in Minneapolis, gaining a background in social work within an urban sphere. But her Eden Prairie community stayed close to her heart, and fate led her back to work in her hometown. “With COVID and everything, I was ready to make a change to something that was closer to home and felt a little more local; I wanted to have an impact in a different way,” Jessica said. “I happened to see a position at PROP… It was part-time, close to home, and PROP was a local organization that was always very well-respected in the community. It just was one of those things where it’s like, ‘okay, this feels like it’s meant to be.’” Jessica joined PROP in January of 2022, starting as an employment counselor.
In her current role, Jessica oversees case management and social services programs, and community partnerships as it relates to client services. This includes financial services, employment counseling, mental health services, and collaboration with local partners. “One of things I like about my job is that no day is the same,” Jessica said. “I always have to be able to pivot because it totally depends on the clients we have coming in that day and what they need.”
Since she’s transitioned into her current role, Jessica has seen the importance of her work reflected in PROP’s clients. One of these impacts is the current stability of her social services team. When she first joined, PROP had a lot of staff transitions and the team wasn’t consistent, and Jessica witnessed how difficult it was for clients to navigate through their issues during that time. With the establishment of a strong team, “the consistency of staff has allowed clients to build rapport and trusting relationships with our staff and case managers, rather than having to get to know a new person all over again. That’s been really helpful,” Jessica said.
Speaking of teamwork, Jessica emphasized how greatly the entire PROP team is interconnected. “I can’t do my job without the rest of the PROP team being here to do their job as well. I think part of it is because we’re a relatively small staff, we each have such an important part to play,” Jessica said. She also doesn’t underestimate the importance of PROP’s volunteers. “Our volunteers are dedicated, and none of the staff could do what we do without the volunteers that we have,” Jessica said. “It’s very inspiring to see them give their time, and it makes it easier for us as staff to carry that forward.”
In terms of carrying it forward, Jessica is confident that PROP will fulfill its mission for years to come. “In the history of time that I’ve lived in Eden Prairie, it’s evolved and become a very vibrant, diverse community. As communities grow and evolve, the organizations have to grow and evolve along with them. I hope that PROP can continue to do that.”