Jessica served North Carolina public school students, families, and employees for 28 years. She has a proven track record for effective communication, leading professional learning, developing systems and processes, building effective cross-sector teams, project management and stakeholder engagement. Throughout the pandemic, Swencki led COVID communications for all of North Carolina’s K-12 public schools, in collaboration with cross-sector state officials.

In her most recent position as the Sandhills Regional Director for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI), Swencki served as a direct support and agency liaison for superintendents and district leadership teams. Prior to joining DPI she served as implementation coordinator for the University of North Carolina at Wilmington’s laboratory school. Her experience also includes chief of quality assurance and community engagement for Brunswick County Schools, regional exceptional children program coordinator, and exceptional children program director for Brunswick and Pender Counties.

Throughout her state service, Swencki was recognized as the Sallie Mae First Year Teacher of the Year, Pender County’s Teacher of the Year, the North Carolina Council for Administrators of Special Education’s Outstanding Administrator, and the recipient of the Family Support Network Linda J. Alford Advocacy Award. The North Carolina School Public Relations Association awarded Swencki a Blue Ribbon Award in recognition of her marketing and communication plan for the 2016 Brunswick County School’s Bond Campaign. She currently serves as a member of the State Council for Cognia and as the President’s Board Designee for the North Carolina School Public Relations Association. Jessica’s reputation is built on her unwavering commitment to improve outcomes for all students and families, and her advocacy for North Carolina’s public schools.

Swencki, a first generation college student, is a proud recipient of the NC Teaching Fellows and NC Principal Fellows scholarships. She is a two-time alumnus of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and holds her Master’s in School Administration and Bachelor of Arts in Special Education with concentrations in learning and emotional disabilities. Jessica is married to Akira Swencki and resides in Burgaw, North Carolina.