MMC CommArts Alumna Named Executive Director of Non-Partisan PAC
MMC CommArts Alumna Named Executive Director of Non-Partisan PAC
Published via Marymount Manhattan College
MMC alumna Jess Agi ’10, who graduated with a BA in Communication Arts, has recently become the Executive Director of the Children’s Campaign Fund. Now in a leadership role of the Washington State-based nonpartisan PAC, Agi orchestrates the strategic plan for the organization, working with endorsed candidates to pass bills and legislature that address the issues faced by developing youths.
Originally from Anchorage, Alaska and homeschooled through high school, Agi attended Marymount Manhattan College because she wanted a small, close-knit environment that also featured the benefits of being located in the media capital of the world. She was heavily involved on campus, writing for The Monitor and helping produce Griffin Radio, MMC’s former radio broadcast.
Agi also worked full-time in high-level media by the time she was 18, becoming a comedy producer and working on television shows such as Hoarders. Her career required her to travel across the country, and she notes that MMC’s flexibility made it possible to balance her professional career and education.
“Marymount Manhattan really let me customize my experience which in turn jumpstarted my career,” says Agi. “I was able to bring my real-world experience back into the classroom, and the communications skills I cultivated through the mentorship of professors such as Dr. Laura Tropp and Dr. Katie LeBesco set me up for success.”
When she was 22, Agi realized she wanted to help make a positive impact in peoples’ lives and began volunteering at nonprofits and with former President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign. “I found that the communications skills I learned at MMC were translating into other sectors,” says Agi. “My education at MMC gave me confidence and faith in my abilities and helped me figure out what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it.”
To date, Agi has helped raise over $20 million for nonprofits nationwide and has managed multiple political and advocacy campaigns. Now the executive director of a nonpartisan, nonprofit PAC, Agi’s new role is the cross-section of all her prior experience. Using the communication skills she learned both in her career and in the classroom, Agi works to answer the needs of children and families across Washington State. “I’m honored to serve as a voice for kids and youth in the political process,” says Agi. “I know without any doubt that I have this leadership opportunity thanks to my time at MMC.”
MMC students can get involved with the Children’s Campaign Fund and contribute by following the organization on social media via their Instagram(opens in a new tab), Facebook(opens in a new tab), and Twitter. Students can also volunteer remotely by emailing Agi at jess@childrenscampaignfund.org and can donate(opens in a new tab) directly to the fund via their website. “As a millennial with student debt, I know that every dollar and any time volunteering makes a difference,” says Agi. “Especially now, the severity of pandemic highlights inequities, injustices, and cascading crises affecting kids and families.
About the Children’s Campaign Fund
The Children’s Campaign Fund (CCF)(opens in a new tab) is Washington State’s longest-standing, non-partisan political action committee (PAC) dedicated to helping elect legislators who will fight for the health, safety, education, and welfare of the children of Washington state. It is one of only a handful of children’s PACs in the country and the nation’s oldest statewide PAC for children. In addition to helping elect legislative champions, CCF also supports select statewide races and ballot measures that directly impact the well-being of children and families.