Board of Directors
Jessica- President and Founder
Jessica is the founder and CEO of Seva Health. After navigating the behavioral health system for her family, Jessica saw a need to find an innovative way to support families beyond the traditional clinical setting. She began Seva with a mission to improve access to supportive services in rural Iowa communities. Jessica has 20 plus years’ experience working in healthcare in a variety of different settings including family practice, women's health, leadership and organizational development, community education, and health coaching. Jessica also has 10 years’ experience in conducting Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNA) and development of Health Implementation Plans (HIP) for two critical access hospitals. She has extensive knowledge in Triple Aim, Social Determinants of Health (SDoH), population health, and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES). During her time in healthcare, she was instrumental in supporting community health initiatives and disaster management response plans for organizations and schools. She coached leaders in the areas of employee development, employee engagement, trauma informed care, and patient satisfaction. Additionally, she worked with healthcare providers on workplace burnout and improving work-life balance. In 2020, Jessica left the healthcare field and began working in public education as a mental health specialist supporting students in grades K-12. Jessica advocates at the local and state level to improve mental health care resources in rural communities that lack access to providers. This includes having conversations with legislators, stakeholders, families, and professional organizations. Jessica is the co-founder of the Clayton County Brain (mental) Health Coalition. She is a member of the Iowa Integrated Health Planning and Advisory Council where she co-chairs the youth brain (mental) health care subcommittee and is a member of the monitoring and over site committee. Jessica is a board member for the Clayton County Foundation for the Future and a board member for Northeast Iowa Community Action representing the low-income sector. She holds a Bachelor of Science in psychology at Upper Iowa University, is a national board-certified health and wellness coach through the National Board of Health and Wellness Coaches (an affiliate of the National Board of Medical Examiners), a group exercise instructor, and 500-hour yoga and meditation instructor. Jessica is also a QPR suicide prevention instructor, transformational/motivational speaker, and holds numerous certifications in disaster management through FEMA. She was recently awarded the Emerging Alumni award through Upper Iowa University for her efforts in supporting brain (mental) health in rural communities.
Heidi- Vice President
When Heidi was asked to be a part of Seva Health, she jumped at the chance to make a difference in her community. Heidi is passionate about the work that Seva Health does and feels that mental health is often misunderstood. She believes that there is a lack of awareness around mental health especially in youth populations. As a board member for Seva Health, Heidi hopes to create awareness and advocate on behalf of anyone needing support. Heidi is a graduate of Patricia Steven's Career College with a degree in business. She currently works as Branch Office Manager for Edward Jones along with running a diner and storage shed business with her husband.
Liz- Treasurer
Liz is a graduate of Columbia Southern University with a B.S. in Healthcare Administration. She works for Principal Financial as a life insurance claim analyst. Liz developed a strong affinity for the nonprofit sector when she worked in healthcare fundraising for the foundations of two local critical access hospitals. She has always had an interest in healthcare, especially mental health and has seen firsthand how the lack of mental health services in rural areas impacts all ages in our communities.
Jordan - Member
Jordan is a graduate of Capri College.
She is the owner and operator of JMS Beauty. Jordan believes that mental health is important and wants everyone to know it is okay to ask for help and talk about mental health. As someone who has experienced the loss of friends due to brain (mental) health challenges, Jordan knows the importance of ensuring everyone knows how to seek support.
Crystal- Secretary
During her years of teaching, Crystal had noticed a change in her students. Many were coming to school not mentally, emotionally or physically ready to learn. She did some research and took some classes to gain some knowledge and tools to help help her students. She began incorporating some yoga and mindfulness into her instructional day. It made a big difference! The more she allowed her students to calm their minds the more they were able to participate in classroom activities. Crystal truly believes helping children take care of their minds and calm their bodies allows children to grow to their fullest potential. She believes strongly in the mission and values of this non-profit and hopes that we can make a difference by helping our community understand mental health is as important as physical health. Crystal holds a bachelors in education from Luther college, and a masters in reading and language arts from University of Northern Iowa. She has taught elementary school since 1992 and recently was able to retire.