Kelsey Jessup, Project Director – Urban Conservation; The Nature Conservancy

Kelsey Jessup is The Nature Conservancy's (TNC) Urban Conservation Project Director. She works to further TNC's Urban Program goal of making cities healthier and more resilient for both people and nature. Kelsey leads a multi-benefit stormwater management and habitat enhancement demonstration project at the Bowtie parcel along the Los Angeles River and oversees other urban program projects, including design and construction, contract and grant management, and partner relationships. She represents TNC in public forums, is a liaison to community members involved in the work, and leads strategy development for TNC's Urban Program. Before joining TNC, Kelsey worked as a project manager at the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation where she led the center's Urban Greening Initiative. Kelsey focused on a range of issues at the Luskin Center, including LA River revitalization, community outreach and engagement, stormwater finance and management practices, Los Angeles' turf replacement program, and technology use in parks. Kelsey was a Bohnett Fellow and earned her Master of Public Policy with academic honors from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. During graduate school, she worked at the Los Angeles Mayor's Office of Budget and Innovation as a policy analyst.