Professional Biography
Jess is the co-founder of Back to Human Partners, a women-owned firm dedicated to creating research-based customized learning solutions that drive authentic leadership in the workplace. She has over 23 years’ professional experience in the healthcare industry, having held titles including division chief operating officer, division leader, and growth leader. With undergraduate degrees in psychology and business information systems, and masters degrees in both education and interdisciplinary telecommunications, she has long been passionate about communication and people interactions. She has devoted much of her career to using these skills to address organizational change for a broad range of healthcare providers, including children’s hospitals (e.g., The Children’s Hospital – Denver, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital), physician practices (e.g., Columbia Doctors, University of Utah Clinics), community hospitals (e.g., Jamestown Regional Medical Center, North Oaks Medical Center), and academic medical centers (e.g., New York–Presbyterian, UNM Health).
Jess is also a trained executive coach, executive trainer, public speaker, and speaker coach. She presents on the topics of leadership, speaking, business growth, and change management.
Jess is currently completing her doctorate in education at Penn GSE (est. May 2025), focused in the areas of leadership development, organizational dynamics, and adult learning. Jess’s doctoral research centers on creating safe spaces for candor in challenging environments, with the goal of supporting leaders and educators to create productive and innovative environments where humans can thrive.
Outside of work and her studies at Penn GSE, Jess is an active board member for the Dawn Gideon Foundation, helping women advance as healthcare leaders through scholarships and mentoring.
