Jessica is Partner at Monument Advocacy, where she provides strategic advisory services, public affairs and public policy support to corporate executives. Previously at Monument, she led the strategic consulting firm’s technology/media, sports, and crisis management practices, and also represented companies in the security, outdoors, and mobility spaces. She is a sought-after speaker and author. She has helped numerous Seattle and Silicon Valley companies understand regulatory, compliance and public policy complexities as they went from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies.
Before rejoining Monument in 2023, she served as the Vice President, Public Policy & Philanthropy, Americas, where she was a member of its Senior Leadership Team and oversaw all public policy and government relations for the company’s headquarters, the United States, Canada, Latin America, and Brazil, as well as Twitter’s global social impact efforts and philanthropic initiatives.
Previously, she was the Executive Vice President of Government & Corporate Affairs at Univision Communications, managing all global government affairs and regulatory strategy, as well as third-party engagement, philanthropy, corporate social responsibility, sustainability, and policy communications functions. As a member of the executive leadership team, she advised on strategic and operational special projects to create revenue opportunities and create cost savings across Univision and managed multi-million social impact marketing budgets and production teams. She also served as the Founder and President of the Univision Foundation.
Prior to her work in the private sector, Jessica was the Staff Director & General Counsel of the House Committee on Homeland Security, where she managed a 50+ staff and $18 million budget while directing, supervising, and managing the activities of the Committee responsible for overseeing the then-fledgling DHS. She was the first Latina to serve as a staff director for a Congressional Committee. Previously, she was Senior Counsel at the U.S Justice Department’s Computer Crime & IP Section, where she led teams of prosecutors specializing in the investigation and prosecution of cybercrimes and represented the U.S. government internationally. She also served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney at the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office, handling fraud and public corruption cases. Jessica has taught cybersecurity, cybercrime, and criminal law at several universities and has written numerous publications on security, technology, and cyber-related matters. She began her career as a communications, government contracts, intellectual property, and energy lawyer.
Jessica serves on the Boards of the Peabody Awards and Regis University, as well as on the Advisory Board of the University of California National Center For Free Speech & Civic Engagement and the Honorary Degrees Committee of Yale University. She recently served as the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors for the U.S. Center for SafeSport, an independent 501c(3) authorized by law to respond to sexual abuse and misconduct allegations within the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Movement. She also previously served on the Boards of the National Association of Broadcasters, the National Association of Latino Elected & Appointed Officials, and the Hispanic Federation, among others.
Jessica has received numerous honors, including an Honorary Doctorate from Regis University, Washingtonian’s Tech Titan, Latino Leaders’ 100 Latinas (three times), Multichannel News Wonder Woman Award, OAS/Friends of the Art Museum of the Americas Special Recognition Award, HHF NFL Award, Cablefax’s Most Influential Minorities and Most Powerful Women, Women in Cybersecurity Award, and 100 Most Influential Hispanics in the U.S. (three times).
She graduated with a B.A. in American Studies from Yale University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School and is a Member of the Texas and DC Bars. She is a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, holds a black belt in tae kwon do, and enjoys writing poetry and coaching middle school Speech & Debate.