Jessica VanderKolk
Jessica VanderKolk has served for nearly nine years as the communications manager and public information officer for the City of Battle Creek, Michigan. She manages daily and emergency communications and messaging for all city departments, coordinates media relations, leads the management of the city’s social media accounts, and creates and delivers content in many other ways to tell the city’s story. Previously, Jessica spent about a decade working as a newspaper reporter in Michigan and Pennsylvania. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Michigan State University. She has written and presented for a variety of organizations to promote Battle Creek and communications in local government, and also serves on the Government Social Media Membership Committee. Locally, she serves on her son’s elementary PTO, local public access station board, and community Communications Collaborative. Jessica starts her day with many cups of coffee, and her self-care comes from spending time outside, running, and Twitter. She has a spouse of almost 18 years, a 9-year-old, and a very good dog.