Jessica Perez is the Policy Associate for Federal Practice where she supports place-based partnerships on how to access federal funding to support local efforts. Previously, Jessica was a policy analyst in the Research to Action Lab at the Urban Institute. At Urban, Jessica focused on racial equity internally and externally. She provided technical assistance and published blogs and reports across various policy areas including economic mobility, criminal justice, and housing. Before Urban, she worked as a program associate at a nonprofit that helps America’s 3,069 counties advance best practices and programs at the intersection of local criminal justice and behavioral health. During undergraduate, Jessica held various internships including both on the House and Senate side. She holds a BA in political science with a concentration on race, gender, and politics from American University.

As a Latina and the daughter of immigrant parents, Jessica is passionate about combating the impacts of systemic racism through her work and advocating for historically marginalized people who are too often left behind by our current institutions and government.