MEET JESSE

Jesse has been a committed civic volunteer in Alexandria for as long as he’s lived here. He’s a past chair of the Budget and Fiscal Affairs Advisory Committee (BFAAC), and has also served on the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Old Town North Small Area Plan Advisory Group, the Braddock Implementation Advisory Group, and was the founding vice president of the Braddock Metro Citizens Coalition. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Alexandria Transit Company (DASH Bus), the board of trustees of the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria, the board of trustees of Hopkins House, and the Alexandria Little League board of directors.


He is a 2017 graduate of the Political Leaders Program at the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at University of Virginia, as well as an Alexandria 40 Under 40 honoree (but not, uh, recently).

Jesse has spent his entire professional career working on issues of college access and affordability, first at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, then Lumina Foundation, the Center for American Progress, and now the American Council on Education. He earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Georgetown University, where he was a 5-time All-American and captain of the track and field team. During his track career he competed internationally in the 800m both as a sponsored athlete and as captain of the U20 national team, and was a United States Olympic Trials finalist and NCAA runner-up.

He and his wife, Emily, live in Del Ray with their two elementary school-age kids and an energetic pup. He is the son of a college administrator and a stay-at-home dad, the brother to two incredible sisters, and an uncle to two adorable nieces and an alarming number of nephews.  An avid baseball fan, he hopes this is the year that Mike Rizzo finally remembers that baseball teams need relief pitchers.  When he’s not reading or enjoying a local beverage, he’s probably sitting on a soccer sideline, coaching little league, or thinking about (but then not) going for a run.

A RECORD OF LEADERSHIP

  • Board of Directors | Alexandria Transit Company (DASH Bus) | June 2022 – Present
  • Board Member | Scholarship Fund of Alexandria December | 2018 – Present
  • Board of Trustees & Treasurer | Hopkins House Learning Center for Children, Youth, and Families | August 2020 – Present
  • Commission Member & Past Chair | City of Alexandria, Budget & Fiscal Affairs Advisory Commission | February 2018 – July 2021
  • Leadership Development Program | Postsecondary National Policy Institute | August 2018 – December 2018
  • Political Leaders Program | Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at University of Virginia | March 2017 – December 2017
  • Honoree Alexandria 40 Under 40 | May 2017
  • Commission Member | City of Alexandria, Parks & Recreation Commission | January 2016 – May 2017
  • Commission Member & Past Chair | City of Alexandria, Braddock Implementation Advisory Group | October 2013 – May 2017
  • Board of Directors | Committee for Education Funding | January 2015 – May 2015
  • Team Captain | Georgetown University Men’s Track and Field Team | August 2000 – July 2004
  • 5-time All-American | 5th place ‘04 US Olympic Trials 800m | 2nd place ‘04 NCAA 800m | 2004 Robert A. Duffey Award (Georgetown Scholar Athlete of the Year)
  • Board of Directors | Alexandria Transit Company (DASH Bus) | June 2022 – Present
  • Board Member | Scholarship Fund of Alexandria December | 2018 – Present
  • Board of Trustees & Treasurer| Hopkins House Learning Center for Children, Youth, and Families | August 2020 – Present
  • Commission Member & Past Chair | City of Alexandria, Budget & Fiscal Affairs Advisory Commission | February 2018 – July 2021
  • Leadership Development Program | Postsecondary National Policy Institute | August 2018 – December 2018
  • Political Leaders Program | Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at University of Virginia | March 2017 – December 2017
  • Honoree   Alexandria 40 Under 40 | May 2017
  • Commission Member | City of Alexandria, Parks & Recreation Commission | January 2016 – May 2017
  • Commission Member & Past Chair | City of Alexandria, Braddock Implementation Advisory Group | October 2013 – May 2017
  • Board of Directors | Committee for Education Funding | January 2015 – May 2015
  • Team Captain | Georgetown University Men’s Track and Field Team | August 2000 – July 2004
  • 5-time All-American | 5th place ‘04 US Olympic Trials 800m | 2nd place ‘04 NCAA 800m | 2004 Robert A. Duffey Award (Georgetown Scholar Athlete of the Year)

A RECORD OF LEADERSHIP

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