A native Yooper and from Marquette, Jess Jones graduated from Michigan State University. She then moved, after a short stint living out West, back to make Marquette home. Hired on at NMU in 2006, Jess now works as Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship for the NMU Foundation. She very much enjoys working in a university setting and working closely with inspirational donors to ultimately encourage academic success for students. The activities and experiences Jess is involved with outside of work include teaching spinning at the YMCA of Marquette County, where she has worked in Group Exercise for almost 10 years, advising the NMU Board and Ski Club on campus and participating in various service and professional groups.

With a love of being active and the outdoors, Jess can often be found running the trails, snowboarding down Marquette Mountain, or playing at the many local parks with her family. She is passionate about giving back to a community that has given her so much and this past year had a lot of fun getting more involved with 40 Below, sitting on the annual Young Professionals Conference Planning Committee. This past spring, Jess along with co-producer Marina Dupler, helped organize a fundraiser for Marquette County Habitat for Humanity that combined their love of all things locally crafted and beautiful design with upcycling furniture pieces for a good case. In early December, Jess will be part of the Upper Peninsula Children’s Museum Celebrity Art Auction and hopes to see you there bidding on an upcycled piece of her own.