Jess arrived on Chumash land in the fall of 2021 following the completion of her Masters in Public Health with coursework in dietetics at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. After focusing her studies on structural violence in the food system and Indigenous food sovereignty, Jess is deeply moved to address the disconnect between the modern nutrition paradigm and sustainable, just ways of living.

Jess initially came to Quail Springs as a Work Trader. As a member of the Farm Team, she began to learn what it means to be in right relationship with land, to have an embodied connection to the food that we eat, and be part of a regenerative community. Charmed by communal meals, goat eyelash kisses, and the brilliant and brazenly authentic people of Quail Springs, she offered her skills on the Administration Team as Administrative Support Coordinator.

Now as Executive Director, Jess brings her big-picture thinking, attention to detail, and radical compassion to the Quail Springs team. For Jess, living and working at Quail Springs means interrogating all that disconnects us from the living Earth and working toward a way of living that helps us remember our interconnectedness. Jess is driven by realizing this vision through our educational programs, community outreach, and conservation and land tending work. She is inspired by how Quail Springs works to challenge traditional, hierarchical leadership structures through a sociocratic governance model.