Deputy Chief Executive, New Local

Jessica is deputy chief executive of New Local where she has responsibility for impact and organisational development. New Local is an independent think tank and peer learning network of councils, with a mission to transform public services and unlock community power. Looking for new, community-led solutions to some of society’s biggest challenges, New Local team up with innovative people from across all parts of government and communities to achieve change.

Jessica’s work focusses on community power in policy and practice; local government; public service reform; local government finance; and devolution. She has published research on a range of topics, including The Community Paradigm which was co-authored with Adam Lent in 2019 and has influenced a range of local public sector practice and continues inform New Local’s community power approach.

Previously, Jessica was political adviser to the Labour Group at the Local Government Association (LGA). She led policy there, working closely on public service reform and devolution. This included a secondment to the Policy Unit of the Leader of the Opposition’s Office during 2013-14 to lead on the Local Government Innovation Taskforce, a commission that reported into Labour’s Policy Review ahead of the 2015 General Election. Prior to that, she worked in policy roles in the voluntary sector for a homelessness and a children’s charity, and she began her career at the Fabian Society.

Jessica is also a board member of the National Housing Federation and a trustee of Local Trust.