Jessica is a long-time municipal civil servant in the Los Angeles area and Master of Public Diplomacy candidate. She has worked in programs ranging from housing improvement to crime prevention and youth activities, and currently works as an assistant in the Office of the Chief of Police for the City of Santa Monica. Her research interests include urbanization, tourism, public diplomacy of non-state actors, and the region of Latin America. She is particularly interested in further exploring city diplomacy to identify ways in which local communities can more actively participate in international arenas. Jessica holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology with a focus in Interaction and Group Relations from California State University, Long Beach.