Meet New Scottie Team Member, Jessica O’Keefe
Hi there! My name is Jessica O’Keefe, and I’m joining the Scottie Public Affairs team as a senior associate. As it did for so many others, COVID threw a wrench in the gears of my career almost one year ago. Although I kept busy freelance writing and volunteering for local politicians, I had the rare opportunity to take the time to gain some perspective and determine the next steps when it came to my professional life. Lending my seven years of expertise in communications and customer support to work for a woman-owned business was a no-brainer. I’m very much looking forward to getting to work, making an impact, and (fingers crossed) meeting clients in-person later this year.
A little Q&A about me…
How did you come to Scottie? I learned about Scottie through a friend in 2020 and started following Abby on Twitter soon after that. I was instantly drawn to Scottie Public Affairs in due part to my experience working with public utilities in the past. After getting virtually acquainted with Abby in January of 2021, I expressed my interest in helping with her client caseload, and here we are today!
If you weren't working in communications, you'd be...? This may come as a surprise to some, considering my affinity for chaotic work environments, but I’d love to own a tea shop. I worked for Teavana right after I graduated college and loved every minute of it. I enjoyed chatting with customers, experimenting with flavors, and learning about the history of tea. Nothing would make me happier than to serve tea in a small ski town.
Favorite trip? Or, where do you want to go next when it's safe to travel? It feels like a lifetime ago, but my parents took me, my husband, and my three younger brothers on a trip around the state of Colorado in the summer of 2019. We took a dip in the hot springs in Buena Vista, biked from Breckenridge to Frisco, I may or may not have crashed a small boat in Lake Dillon, and then we spent the last few days hiking all over Rocky Mountain National Park. Colorado is one of those states that’s fun and beautiful all year round, and I’d love to visit when it’s safe to travel again.
What have you recently read? Admittedly, COVID seems to have broken the part of my brain that enjoys reading long-form articles and books. I do plan on revisiting an old favorite, the Uglies series, to attempt to reignite my love of reading. Anything post-apocalyptic and mysterious is alright with me. Next up on the docket is Stacey Abrams’ Our Time Is Now. Her activism is nothing short of inspiring and I hope to take lessons learned from her book and apply them to my local political activism.
What are your hobbies? Lately, I try to get outside as much as I can. Whether I’m walking on the Montour Trail by my house or hiking around Peter’s Lake with my family, nature has been my sanity since COVID hit. I try to get down to Deep Creek, Maryland a few times during the winter to ski. I’m not that great at it, but I do love the rush. When I’m home, my husband and I lift weights together. It’s not my favorite activity, but it makes me feel better about my preferred hobby, sipping on Cabernet Sauvignon.