Decades of Experience With A Passion For People.

Higher education has been at the center of Jessica’s professional life for more than 20 years. She began her career in study abroad as the first advisor in her university’s office, where she built systems for recruitment and program management from the ground up. She later joined a study abroad company, helping students pursue their dreams of living and learning in Italy before moving into university relations, where she discovered her true passion for enrollment management.

Over the years, Jessica has led transformational work across strategic enrollment management, revenue strategy, customer service, and event management—often under intense pressure to deliver results in challenging environments. Her strengths in innovation, creative problem-solving, and building empowered teams became the foundation of her success.

Jessica eventually stepped into her dream role, where her portfolio focused on revenue strategy and enrollment pipeline development. Today, as a consultant, she brings the same expertise and energy to her work with EM-Powerhouse clients, helping institutions reimagine enrollment strategies, strengthen their teams, and achieve record-breaking results.

Like many in enrollment management, Jen’s career began by accident—starting as a student worker in her university’s recruitment office. From entering data and supporting admissions travel to creating her school’s first volunteer “telecounseling” program, Jen quickly discovered a passion for connecting people and ideas to maximize results.

Over the years, she took on leadership roles across the enrollment spectrum, often outside her initial skillset. Each time, she embraced the challenge—diving deeply into new departments, building connections, and empowering teams.

Today, Jen brings the perspective of a chief enrollment officer—with firsthand experience leading complex teams and aligning admissions, financial aid, marketing, student account and a collaborative student success approach toward the shared goal of undergraduate enrollment success. She pairs this leadership insight with a researcher’s curiosity, studying industries, leadership practices, and team performance to strengthen her consulting approach.

Melissa is the glue that keeps EM-Powerhouse running smoothly. Always looking for ways to maximize time and improve efficiency, she builds processes that make our client engagements seamless and effective. A problem-solver at heart, Melissa shares our deep commitment to people and teams.

She brings years of experience in administrative support and leadership in higher education. After years in executive support roles in many industries, she began her higher education career in the admissions office, where she honed her skills in operations, hiring, and built the knowledge of enrollment management and university culture. She later advanced to the Provost’s Office, first as an administrative leader and then as the hiring coordinator for all faculty—a highly complex and time-intensive role requiring precision, diplomacy, and collaboration across campus.

As the mom of two college students, Melissa has seen enrollment management from both sides of the desk. She combines that personal perspective with her professional expertise to ensure our work is both efficient and people-centered.