Jessica Guthrie brings more than fifteen years of leadership experience and a deep background in nonprofit fundraising, grants management, and mission-driven storytelling. Growing up in rural Georgia, and spending ten years traveling throughout the United States shaped her appreciation for community, place, and the stories that connect people to them. Her career spans arts and culture, education, veterans’ services, youth development, and community-based initiatives, where she has led comprehensive development efforts, managed grants from proposal through reporting, and built donor-centered campaigns that strengthen organizational sustainability.

Jessica got her start in fundraising as Assistant Director of the George W. Bush Childhood Home, where she led development efforts through grants, individual donors, corporate sponsorships, and seasonal appeals while managing daily museum operations. In that role, she developed the education department, coordinated volunteers and docents, oversaw public programs and events, and supported marketing, outreach, and media relations, laying the foundation for a career centered on building relationships, creating meaningful donor experiences, and connecting people to mission in lasting ways.