Ashley Jessup

Ashley Jessup | Director | Business and Development

Education
Bachelor of Arts, Managerial Studies
University of Redlands
Redlands, California

Bachelor of Arts, Studio Art: Painting and Drawing
University of Redlands
Redlands, California

Ashley Jessup has over thirteen years of experience with small business development, administration, and marketing—fusing and balancing her academic and field training in both management and art to organize and promote agency success and identify creative solutions to problems. After tenures in the music and fashion industries and entrepreneurial manufacturing, she was drawn to the design culture of the architecture field and joined JKA in 2017.

At JKA, Ashley is responsible for overseeing and coordinating business and financial operations, and directs budgeting, tax, accounting, purchasing, benefit programs, and insurance activities. She also manages a variety of office administrative support activities and leads the day-to-day human resources responsibilities for JKA’s team of architectural and urban designers, ensuring that policies and practices are adhered to and aligned with firm values and organizational objectives. She co-leads JKA’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and has submitted the firm’s metrics for SoCalNOMA’s DEI Challenge since 2020.

In addition to maintaining current operations, she works with JKA leadership to cultivate the business development strategy, marketing, branding, communications, and public relations infrastructure, positioning the firm for growth and profitability. A main directive includes identifying community-oriented municipal opportunities and collaborating with project managers to prepare accurate, compliant, and timely proposals, presentations, and qualification packages that advance JKA’s vision and mission-oriented goal of creating places and buildings that further social equity and well-being.