Jessica Wallen

Executive Director

Jessica is a public policy strategist, cultural organizer, and experienced nonprofit leader with over a decade of hands-on work in community-driven development. She specializes in building creative, cross-sector partnerships that make cities more vibrant, equitable, and resilient. At the American Planning Association, she led national efforts to integrate the arts into urban planning, helping professionals across the country rethink how culture shapes place. Her work has also included managing international cultural exchange programs and producing public projects with organizations like MTA Arts & Design and FIGMENT – projects that turn shared spaces into catalysts for community connection and local economic vitality.

Jess holds an M.A. in Arts and Public Policy from New York University, a Certificate in Creative Placemaking from New England College, and a B.S. in Art from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She continues to support inclusive planning through active roles on the City of Hudson Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee, the Basilica Hudson Board of Directors, and the National Arts & Planning Division of the American Planning Association.