Jess serves as Associate Professor of Directing and Artistic Director at North Dakota State University (Fargo, ND) where she built the program's emphasis in Directing for undergraduate theatre majors. Professional directing credits include Theatre B (MN), The Rose Theater (NE), Adventure Theatre MTC (MD), Source Festival (DC), Okoboji Summer Theater (IA), Forum Theatre (DC), and the Hangar Theatre (NY). Jess earned her MFA from The Theatre School at De Paul University, and is a recipient of the Drama League's Directors Project Fellowship.