About Us

Jessica Crowder, Executive Director

Jessica was born in Victoria, Texas and spent her childhood on a cattle ranch in central New Mexico, where she first began to understand the relationships that exist between the land and those who steward the land. She graduated from high school in Comfort, Texas and was drawn to pursue a degree in range management at Texas Tech University, where she broadened her understanding of stewardship, agriculture and conservation. She holds a M.S. in Range Science and a B.S. in Range Management from Texas Tech University. Her M.S. research focused on prescribed summer fire and grazing management in the Northern Great Plains. 

Prior to joining WSGLT, Jessica was the policy director and a policy associate for the Western Landowners Alliance. She served as a policy advisor for former Wyoming Governor Matt Mead, a position she held for over four years. Jessica has also worked as a policy analyst for the Wyoming Department of Agriculture, as a technician for the Agricultural Research Service and as an instructor at Northwest College in Powell, WY. Much of her work has focused on natural resource management with an emphasis on keeping working lands intact and economically viable across varied land ownerships. Jessica has experience working closely with landowners, federal partners, state agencies, local governments and non-governmental organizations to develop policy and management of natural resources to benefit Wyoming citizens and Wyoming landscapes. 

Jessica enjoys spending time outdoors – riding horses, gardening, fishing, hiking and traveling – with her husband Jason and their daughter Adelynn.