FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Missouri KidsFirst names Jessica Seitz new Executive Director
JEFFERSON CITY (August 5, 2021): Missouri KidsFirst’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce the selection of Jessica Seitz as Executive Director, effective August 1. Jessica has over twelve years of nonprofit experience and previously served as Missouri KidsFirst’s Director of Public Policy.
As Policy Director, Jessica successfully advocated for an improved response to child abuse across the state including services from Child Advocacy Centers and the SAFE-CARE network and for policies promoting the prevention of child abuse. Among her legislative achievements are the passage of a requirement to provide trauma-informed, developmentally-appropriate sexual abuse prevention education in schools and most recently, the passage of the historic “Residential Care Facility Notification Act” which created safeguards for children living in unlicensed boarding schools. She also spearheaded the #Essential4Kids campaign to educate adults on how to recognize and respond to child abuse and neglect during the COVID-19 pandemic, a campaign which reached thousands of people across the country.
“Anyone who has worked with Jessica knows she is ‘all in’ on protecting kids. She is a dedicated and knowledgeable advocate for child abuse prevention and child and family well-being, ” said Jack Jensen, President of Missouri KidsFirst’s Board of Directors. “We are very excited for Jessica to advance into this role and look forward to her leadership.”
“Missouri KidsFirst is the leading voice on issues of child abuse and neglect,” said Seitz. “It has been an honor to represent our organization as Policy Director for four years. I am thrilled to continue the journey, working with leaders across the state as the Executive Director to ensure that all kids in Missouri are healthy and protected from harm.”
Jessica joined Missouri KidsFirst after spending more than six years in federal government relations in Washington, DC with YMCA of the USA and the National PTA. She began her career in politics at the state-level as a lobbyist for the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Originally from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Jessica has BA in Politics from Brandeis University and is finishing a Master’s Degree in Public Affairs with a focus on nonprofit management from the Truman School of Public Affairs at the University of Missouri. She lives in St. Louis with her husband, Ryan, an attorney and native Missourian. In her free time, she is a devoted baseball fan.
