Professional Biography
Jessica Richard is the Associate Director of the School Leadership Program. Since completing graduate studies in Educational Administration, Jessica’s continued focus has been on the building of healthy organizational structures and cultivating a foundation of excellence in instructional development and curriculum. Her expertise lies in creating instructional coherence, cultivating strong teams, designing systems and programming for community engagement, and building quality educational leadership standards that support student achievement.
With over twenty years of experience, Jessica excelled within primary and secondary (K-12) education serving in various leadership capacities throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, culminating with nine years as a Principal and Chief Academic Officer. During her tenure, she and her staff established strong routines for continuous development at every level of the school system, strengthened core instructional programs, improved the percentage of students reading on or above grade level by over 50%, and established powerful one-of-a-kind partnerships with parents and community leaders that deepened the district’s local relationships and influence. Jessica, in partnership with the community she served, also introduced a bold agenda for the future grounded in a commitment to student achievement and teacher performance. She was named the Dobson FIM 2013 Principal of the Year and is a member of the PA Association of Elementary and Secondary School Principals.
Jessica has also previously led all operations of a community faith-based nonprofit organization with initiatives aimed at addressing the needs of Southern New Jersey communities with a focus on after-school arts programming, educational resources for parents and teachers, mental health programming, food pantries and mobile food distribution centers in underserved communities, and planning large events that fostered civic engagement.
