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As co-founder of Vector Communications, Jessica M. Perkins is the principal responsible for public engagement, strategic planning and collaborative development. In her position, Perkins has worked with some of St. Louis’s most prominent government, municipal, non-profit and philanthropic entities to improve social and economic conditions for the region’s residents. Perkins believes that every citizen, regardless of age, ethnicity or income, should have the opportunity to learn about important public issues that impact their lives and participate in community decision-making. She also recognizes that those engaged in community agenda-setting have a responsibility to address public issues in a manner that responds to citizens’ needs, values and interests. Vector Communications serves as the link between policy-making organizations and the citizens and stakeholders they serve.

Although a native St. Louisan, Perkins spent fourteen years in Texas (Houston, Dallas and Austin) after graduate school. She returned to St. Louis in 1989 and continued her planning, marketing and sales career in corporate America until 1993.  Working for Exxon Company USA, IBM and NYNEX, she won numerous awards – including IBM’s Regional Manager award and several 100% Club awards with both IBM and NYNEX. In 1993, she was accepted into Coro Leadership Center’s Women In Leadership (WIL) Program, class 24.  Perkins decided to leave her corporate career following this experience and pursued a doctoral degree at St. Louis University in public policy and organizational development.

After completing her doctoral course work and comprehensive exams, Perkins chose to inspire other women to become community leaders by returning to Coro as the WIL trainer from 1996 to 1997. Her experience as a trainer, corporate strategist and organizational development expert prepared her to launch Out-of-the-Box Thinking, a strategic planning consulting practice in 1996.

The knowledge Perkins gained in organizational development, public policy and strategic planning from 1993 to 1998 was the “seed” for creating Vector Communications with her partner, Laurna Godwin. While her advanced studies did not lead to a conferred doctorate, Vector is her symbolic dissertation. A life-long learner, Perkins has searched for and learned many innovative methods to expand her consulting, facilitation and planning practice. She is a certified trainer for Six Thinking Hats®, a creative thinking and decision-making technique; and she was trained in graphic facilitation and strategic visioning by David Sibbett of Grove Consultants. She also holds memberships in the International Association of Public Practitioners and the International Association of Facilitators.

Perkins is an active community servant who has donated her time to many non-profit boards over the past ten years.  Most of her board service has involved organizations whose missions focus on education, social service delivery, policy research and cultural awareness. She is currently a board member for New City School, the St. Louis Minority Business Council, the St. Louis Public School Foundation and Springboard to Learning. Annually, she also donates her organizational and analytical talents to Community Women Against Hardship in support of its Circle of Support Gala.  

Recently, Perkins was honored with the 2008 Professional Organization of Women’s Woman Of Distinction Award and the 2006 Community Women Against Hardship’s Community Outreach Award.

Perkins received a multiple major undergraduate degree in marketing, statistics, and psychology from Lindenwood College. After Lindenwood, she attended the University of Wisconsin as a Consortium for Graduate Study in Management Fellow and completed her M.B.A. in finance.