Jessica is an experienced leader with over two decades of direct and indirect service to children and families in South Carolina. Prior to leading SCPITC, she managed the organization’s statewide Infant/Toddler Specialist Network. Jessica is steeped in the culture of child care in South Carolina, having begun her career as a care teacher of children birth to age five. Driven by her passion to serve children and families, she has also worked as the director of a nationally-accredited child development center, and supported early care and education at the county level through her management of cradle-to-career educational investments at the United Way of Greenville County. As a leader in South Carolina’s infant/toddler quality initiatives, Jessica engages in multiple intrastate and cross-state collaborations to innovate new services for infant/toddler child care providers and augment access to resources across the state. Jessica holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art from Furman University and a Master of Arts in Teaching degree in Early Childhood Education from Converse College. She teaches a graduate course on Relationship-Based Caregiving for Infants and Toddlers at the University of South Carolina. Outside of work, Jessica enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter and volunteering with local non-profit organizations. She also performs with the South Carolina Bach Choir.