Jill enjoys creating spaces that deepen conversations, communities, and impact. This is evident in the way she approaches her work as a mother, author, organizer, musician, and travel junkie who has visited over 80 countries throughout the world. She often balances dueling desires to meet new people and hide away with a good book and her cat.

In 2013, she co-founded Open Charlotte, a volunteer civic tech organization that worked with local government and community organizations to improve government services. She quickly rose to leadership positions within the Network, serving many different roles: a founding member of the Code for America National Advisory Council (NAC), NAC Chair, Code for America Fellow (working on a criminal justice project adopted by the Mecklenburg County Re-entry Services and then deployed throughout North Carolina), and on staff as Sr. Program Manager.

She has been known to speak worldwide about community and civic engagement through the US State Department Foreign Speaker Program and at many, many conferences, workshops and training sessions.

She also focuses that energy on her adopted hometown of Charlotte by helping people find their voice and share their stories through TEDxCharlotte (lessee and Speaker Coaching team). In 2019, Jill’s team won a WFAE’s podquest contest for the Work It podcast.

Jill bought a home in the Seversville neighborhood in 2017 with her husband, son and two cats. She immediately loved the neighborhood, her neighbors and the community. She has since become an empty nester and spends as much time baking and teaching her cat Spanish as she can.