San Diego CA— Jessica Ripper has been elected Board President for Episcopal Community Services (ECS), an organization that inspires children, empowers adults, and transforms communities by providing vital, high-quality social services that focus on early childhood education and development, homelessness, mental health, and substance use disorder treatment. Ripper is a versatile community leader and strategist who specializes in facilitating systems change at the intersection of housing, health, and human services to support the development of vibrant communities where people of all ages and backgrounds live, work, learn, and thrive.
Ripper currently serves as a Principal at LeSar Development Consultants where she focuses on creating and facilitating virtual and in-person interactive workshops on housing and homelessness policy. She also has experience facilitating strategic planning and capacity building, conducting policy and funding analyses, and framing narratives that generate support for strengthening our communities. She currently leads an Affordable Housing Task Force for the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego and serves on the North Park Planning Committee.
“Jessica is a strategic, inclusive leader, and she steps into this role at an important time for ECS,” said Elizabeth Fitzsimons, Chief Executive Officer at Episcopal Community Services. “As we emerge from the pandemic, we have an opportunity to listen to our community and respond intentionally. It’s an exciting time for ECS when we are dreaming big – and Jessica is just the right person to dream big, and then act.”
Prior to joining LeSar Development Consultants, Jessica consulted for the County of San Diego Child Welfare Services and served as marketing director for Walden Family Service. Prior to moving to San Diego, Ripper worked for the Annie E. Casey Foundation where she helped to develop a framework to guide public investment in evidence-based programs for children and youth. She has also held positions at Goodwill Industries International and the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and has consulted for several regional and national nonprofit organizations.
She attends both Good Samaritan Episcopal Church and Mission Hills United Church of Christ and enjoys supporting local restaurants, bookstores, and arts and social justice organizations with her husband David, teenager Sophia, and friends.