Meet our new team members:
Jessica Wright
Manager, Prospects and Growth
Jessica, a Dallas native, moved to Alabama to begin her career as a middle school science teacher in Birmingham City Schools. As a Teach For America corps member, she inspired fellow educators and significantly expanded STEM opportunities for her students, including partnering with
The Globe Program and achieving recognition at the Southeast Student Research Symposium.
Her commitment to creating supportive learning environments led her to a principal role, where she championed a culture centered on social-emotional learning. Her holistic approach to education fostered strides in enhancing student engagement and academic performance.
Recognizing the need for innovative approaches in education, Jessica transitioned into roles that allowed her to make a broader impact. In her role as Recruitment Manager for Teach For America Alabama, Jessica collaborated with Breakthrough Birmingham to create an integrated pipeline for developing top talent and future leaders. Her innovative approach not only doubled the number of accepted fellows in just six months but also led to the development of the Accelerate recruitment strategy. This strategy has since become a national model for cultivating exceptional talent and fostering leadership.
Joining Purpose Built Communities, Jessica is eager to apply her experience to holistic community development. She is excited about contributing to the Purpose Built model’s mission to transform neighborhoods through integrated, community-centered approaches. Jessica holds a bachelor’s degree in Race, Gender, and Ethnicity from Texas A&M University and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Arizona State University.
Reagan Perkins
Project Manager, Network Member Success
Reagan Perkins is a dynamic leader with a knack for balancing the big picture and intricate details. She’s handled multi-million-dollar budgets in both nonprofit and corporate sectors and is known for her organizational skills and outcome-driven approach.
With deep experience in managing complex projects and engaging diverse stakeholders, Reagan shines in simplifying tasks and driving collaborative results. She’s excelled as a Communications and Data Asset Manager, particularly in the entertainment app space for a cruise line corporation.
Reagan is celebrated for her emotional intelligence, relationship-building skills, and dedication to community impact. She holds a Political Science degree from the University of Central Florida, which she never uses, and lives in Orlando, FL with her husband and teenage son.
