Influential Woman · Sustainability
Jessica Reid
Senior Sustainability Strategist, City of Raleigh Municipal Government
Raleigh, NC
Her Story
About Jessica
Jessica Reid is a Senior Sustainability Strategist with the City of Raleigh's Office of Sustainability, where she leads clean energy and community resilience initiatives that advance Raleigh's Community Climate Action Plan. She is also the author of Planet Now: Effective Strategies for Communicating about the Environment, a book that helps people communicate more effectively about environmental issues. Jessica regularly speaks on climate communication and Raleigh's climate leadership through book talks, conference panels, and as co-host of the Southeast Sustainability Directors Network's Green Minds podcast.
A proud "Double Tar Heel," Jessica earned both her master's degree in strategic communication and her bachelor's degree in environmental studies and sustainability from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also completed minors in public policy and media and journalism.
Over the past decade, Jessica has built a career spanning local government, the clean energy industry, and environmental nonprofits. Before joining the City of Raleigh, she worked with organizations including the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association, Carolina Solar Services, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the East Coast Greenway Alliance, and UNC's Institute for the Environment. She joined the City as a Sustainability Analyst three years ago and was promoted to Senior Sustainability Strategist last year.
Jessica has helped advance climate action across Raleigh by leading a wide range of initiatives, including a citywide solar and battery storage evaluation; the solar installation at the historic Dix Park Chapel; Raleigh's participation in the regional Solarize LMI (low-to-moderate income) and Electrify the Triangle programs, which help residents access clean energy, energy efficiency upgrades, and utility cost savings; the establishment of C-PACE financing to help businesses invest in sustainable property improvements; creation of the City's annual Community Climate Action Plan implementation report; and the Workforce program, a collaboration among more than 16 City departments and two nonprofit partners that pays people experiencing homelessness a living wage to complete beautification projects. She is passionate about advancing climate solutions that not only reduce emissions and protect the environment, but also improve everyday life by making communities safer, more affordable, and more resilient.
Jessica believes the most impactful climate solutions are built through collaboration, and she enjoys bringing together partners across government, nonprofits, and the private sector to make those solutions a reality. A lifelong learner, Jessica enjoys tackling complex sustainability challenges and collaborating across sectors to turn ambitious climate goals into tangible results for the community.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Jessica
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a combination of personal drive and the support of others. I've always been deeply self-motivated. I care about people, I care about the world, and I want to do meaningful work and do it well. That sense of purpose, combined with discipline and a strong work ethic, has helped me pursue opportunities and keep growing throughout my career. At the same time, no one succeeds alone. I'm incredibly grateful to my parents and grandparents, who have instilled in me a love of learning, the value of education, and the importance of working hard. I've also been fortunate to have professors, mentors, colleagues, and peers who have encouraged me and opened doors along the way. My success is really the result of both personal commitment and a community of people who have invested in me.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was to follow my passion. It may sound trite, but it's advice that has truly shaped my life. My parents emphasized it when I was growing up, reminding me that we spend a significant portion of our lives at work. If you can devote that time to something you genuinely care about, something that feels meaningful and allows you to make a positive impact, you're much more likely to find fulfillment and stay motivated through the challenges. Working in sustainability is often not easy, and the problems we're trying to solve can feel daunting. But because this work aligns so closely with my values, the challenges feel worthwhile. Knowing that I'm contributing to a healthier, more resilient future makes the work deeply rewarding.
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