Jillian graduated from Northwestern University with a B.A. in Communication Studies and Service Design. While in school, she learned about the complexities of constituent-facing government service at the local and international levels at the Evanston City Clerk’s Office, Scottish Parliament, and nonprofits like Healthy Democracy. She explored how governments source input from their communities and what motivates elected leaders to try new models of public participation. Jillian made her formal entrance into the civic design community as a student analyst at the Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation where she wrote a report on methods for recruiting young technologists into federal service. After graduation, she worked with the National Democratic Institute to produce a best practices guidebook for local democratic technology projects and was more recently a design strategist at a consulting firm where she worked with the Veterans Experience Office to better understand the barriers Veterans face when trying to access services and benefits. In her free time, Jillian enjoys roller skating, making bolo ties, and looking for the best breakfast sandwiches in Washington, D.C.