Jessica Paul Werner has been dedicated to building the youth development field since she served as an AmeriCorps*VISTA in Portland, Maine in 1999. After receiving her Masters in Public Administration at the University of Washington Evans School of Public Policy and Governance in 2002, Jessica supported youth worker professional development and youth leadership programs at the YMCA of Greater Seattle for nine years. Jessica started as YDEKC’s Executive Director and first staff member in 2011. Jessica is a proud Seattle Public Schools graduate and now lives with her family in Shoreline, Washington.