All Americans want great schools, affordable health care, safe neighborhoods, and good jobs.
Since 1946, AIR has worked with federal, state, and local governments to improve the lives of everyday American citizens in the areas of education, health, and the workforce—from evaluating the quality of nursing homes to finding out what works so our students can compete on a global stage.
We look forward to continuing this work in the coming years and well into the future.
Jessica Harris is the director of communications for the AIR Opportunity Fund, where she oversees messaging, media relations, digital communications, and major events. She works closely with AIR leadership and staff, grantees, and community partners to promote bold ideas and share innovative strategies to expand opportunities for all.
With years of experience in communications, public policy, and philanthropy, Harris has a proven track record of leading teams, building partnerships, and elevating the visibility of organizations and their work. Before joining AIR, she was the director of strategic communications at the Brookings Institution, where she helped raise the profile of Brookings and its experts. She oversaw media relations, forged partnerships with universities, nonprofits, foundations, and multinational organizations, and collaborated with scholars and staff to share evidence-based insights with a global audience through publications, events, podcasts, and more.
Earlier, Harris worked at Democracy Fund, leading communications for special initiatives like NewsMatch—the largest grassroots fundraising campaign to support nonprofit news in the U.S. Since 2017, NewsMatch has raised over $330 million to support independent media outlets that produce fact-based, nonpartisan journalism.
With a passion for translating research into action, Harris is committed to leading communications efforts that connect people, ideas, and solutions for a better future.
