Get to know Hendy’s new President – Jess Wilson!

Earlier in April, we announced that Jessica Wilson is taking over as Hendy’s President. Sarah and Jess sat down (thanks to zoom) to talk about Jess’s experiences and excitement about the transition. Read below to get to know more about Jess! And read her first team spotlight here.

Congratulations on your new role leading Hendy! I am so excited about you taking the reins and leading  Hendy into the future. For folks who haven’t yet had the pleasure of meeting you, can you share a bit about your background and the experiences that led you to this role? 

I’ve had the great pleasure of being a part of the Hendy team for almost 8 years, and have led client projects large and small across talent, academics and strategy. In my work, I’ve leveraged the skills and competencies that I hope will serve me well in the President role including strategic thinking, project management, communication, and change management. Even before my time at Hendy, I served in roles that required me to manage multiple priorities and projects at once, and to motivate groups large and small to take action on behalf of kids. Prior to coming to Hendy in fall 2017, I was the Executive Director of Talent Impact at Cleveland Metropolitan School District. There I led the implementation of all of our employee performance management systems, and managed our efforts in professional licensure and certification. Before CMSD, I served in various roles at TNTP where I worked with systems like Pittsburgh Public Schools, Newark Public Schools, and the Florida State Department of Education. I started my career in strategy consulting with community-based nonprofits. In addition to my “day job” I also serve as an elected member of my community’s public school Board of Education. Each of these jobs and roles has required me to use my skills and strengths, and has helped me to be ready for this new role. My biggest teaching experience so far? Parenting tweens. Nothing requires more patience and flexibility than living with an 11- and 13-year old.

Haha! Absolutely! What excites you about leading Hendy? 

My favorite part about working with Hendy is partnering with such an exceptional team. Jeremy, Erica and Rachel are top in the field, and I learn so much from each of them in our work together. I’m excited and humbled to get to step into this leadership role to support these awesome people to thrive. And to keep doing so with you, Sarah, as Executive Advisor – you have a lot of wisdom to offer me and the field.

I’m also excited to explore ways to take our business into its next phase of life. I’m a systems thinker and systems builder, and I get really excited about protocols and processes (nerd alert). I’m looking forward to flexing those muscles as we explore ways to deepen our impact for clients and our sustainability long-term.

You’ve been a part of the Hendy team for a long time. What do you think makes Hendy special? 

At the risk of repeating myself, we have the smartest and best people delivering support and solutions for our clients. But more than just support, we truly partner with the people we work with, and share their goals as our own. We are very nimble in our work, and are willing to collaborate with the organizations we serve to make sure they get the most out of our partnership. 

I’m also very proud of the work we’ve done to build cohorts for leaders. We’ve made it a priority not just to engage in project work, but to create spaces for education leaders to come together to learn, share and grow. Our work with cohorts allows us to expand our impact and serve more leaders and more kids.

We build lasting relationships with clients. Some of our past clients have become good friends – and continue to do the great work that we built together. Working in education is not easy (and seems to be getting more and more difficult) – I appreciate the communities we’ve built with our clients, cohorts and coachees. 

I couldn’t agree more. We all know that we’re in a challenging time in our country and in schools. What value do you think consultants can play to support education leaders in this particular moment? 

There is so much happening in our world, and so much that is affecting or has the potential to affect the education sector at large. School system leaders must navigate threatened or real changes to their contexts while also meeting the needs of their students and staff – and keeping the lights on. One thing I’m so proud of in how we structure our consulting work is that we are true partners to our clients. Because of the way we structure our work, a Hendy consultant can serve not just as a support person, but as a thought-partner to leaders as they encounter changes or challenges in their environment. We can distill a lot of information to what is “need to know” for our clients and their context, and ask strategic questions that help clients to navigate their challenges and make strong decisions. And, we can be an empathetic ear. I once had a client tell me he appreciated our time together because he could “take off his cape”. In this moment especially, education leaders need safe space and relationships to let their guards down and process what is happening.

Thank you so much, Jess. I’m sure folks will be eager to connect with you and the Hendy team for support. How can people connect with you if they want to learn more?

Send me an email at jessicawilson@hendyavenue.com or click here to set up a call. I love chatting with people!