Jessie Austin O’Neill is dedicated to advancing community well-being and systems change through the use of actionable data and insights. She joined Wilder in 2019.

Jessie partners with community organizations, state agencies, and Tribal nations to improve the lives of children and families whose lives are impacted by poverty and complex governmental systems. Her expertise spans housing and homelessness, child welfare, community safety, and child and youth development. She works in close partnership with the Minnesota Tribal Collaborative to Prevent and End Homelessness to lead the Reservation Homeless Study. Jessie is passionate about collaborating with community partners in the data analysis process to co-create meaning from research results.

Jessie has a Master of Public Health in maternal and child health from the University of Minnesota and a bachelor’s degree from Whitman College in Washington State.

Outside of work, Jessie enjoys all things away from her computer: running on state park trails, cooking tasty food for family and friends, and playing in the garden with her young daughter.