91短视频

This is the second of three profiles about the recipients of 91短视频鈥檚 2025 Alumni Awards. For more information about the annual awards and a full list of past winners, visit聽emu.edu/alumni/awards.

JESSICA (JESS) KING ’96 has worked to bring the foundational lessons of her Mennonite upbringing and education to others during her more than 20-year career leading equity-driven public sector organizations鈥攆rom creating economic opportunity to facilitating transparency in government to building journalistic literacy in communities. In recognition of her work, 91短视频鈥檚 Alumni Association and its Awards and Nominations Committee have selected King as the recipient of the 2025 Distinguished Service Award, which honors alumni who have significantly impacted the lives of others. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 an honor to be recognized by my alma mater,鈥� said King, who graduated from 91短视频 with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in liberal arts with minors in English, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), and psychology. 

Service lights the way

After graduation, King volunteered with Pittsburgh Urban Leadership Service (PULSE), founded by 91短视频 alumnus John Stahl-Wert ’81. In an experience she likened to a post-graduate program, King joined a community of young leaders to partner with Pittsburgh nonprofits for a year of service and leadership. She served at the Thomas Merton Center, a Catholic-founded center for peace and justice, and was later hired as executive director of PULSE, where she spent four years expanding her understanding of urban communities and the local businesses, organizations, and governments that serve them.听

King then led a six-year effort as founding executive director of the Union Project to transform an abandoned church building into an arts and enterprise incubator space. She spent more than a decade in Pittsburgh, where she met her husband, Chad. The couple has two daughters, Eleni and Esm茅 King Martin. Both Jessica and Esm茅 were greatly impacted by their intercultural studies at 91短视频; Jessica studied in Greece and lived with families in France and C么te d鈥橧voire (West Africa), while Esm茅, a rising junior at 91短视频, spent the spring 2025 semester in Guatemala and Mexico.听

Foundations in community聽

King grew up Mennonite in Lancaster County. Her father was killed in a plane crash when she was two. After her mother remarried, her mother and stepfather started a paint store, where King and her three siblings all worked at different points. 

鈥淕rowing up, my family had a robust network of support, and our church community was also an essential part of our local economy,鈥� King said. 鈥淐onnections are important for a prosperous community.鈥� 

King has intentionally lived in low-income neighborhoods for much of her adult life, creating relationships and solidarity that have informed her work and career path鈥攆rom Pittsburgh to Lancaster, where she fought poverty through entrepreneurship for seven years as executive director at ASSETS; ran for Pennsylvania鈥檚 11th Congressional District; and served four 鈥渆ye-opening鈥� years as chief of staff for the City of Lancaster. 

鈥淭here鈥檚 a narrative that our situations in life are based on our choices, but generational trauma and poverty, oppression based on race or gender, and access to quality education are huge factors. The rules of our economy are created by the wealthy and well-connected, creating systems of opportunity and disinvestment that are so much more than choice,鈥� said King. 

She says that Jesus teaches us about economic issues more than many other Christian themes. 鈥淟oving our neighbors as ourselves includes examining and changing socioeconomic systems that support people,鈥� she said. 

Since September 2023, King has served as inaugural executive director of in Lancaster. The nonprofit is focused on funding innovation in local news to support informed and engaged communities. It is also working 鈥渦pstream from news鈥� to build trust, center solutions, and equip action.听

King says her recent work reminds her of the conflict transformation teachings at 91短视频, including those taught by John Paul Lederach.听

鈥淐hange is possible,鈥� said King. 鈥淲e can choose not to participate in the dystopian fears that can paralyze and isolate us. Values, teachings, and examples from 91短视频 and the broader world provide guideposts and road maps to other ways forward.鈥澛�

King will share her story at 91短视频 TenTalks, held on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 1:30 p.m. in Martin Chapel during Homecoming 2025. For a full schedule of Homecoming events and activities, visit聽emu.edu/homecoming.