Mayor's Office

As the Community Engagement Officer, Jessica Hehir directs and coordinates communication initiatives, events and sponsorship programs for the Mayor’s Office. She also represents the mayor in engagements with community partners and constituents.

Jessica previously served as a Housing Inspector with the Life Safety Division of the Duluth Fire Department, where she supported property owners and tenants through inspections, consultation, and enforcement to ensure safe, legal, and sanitary housing. Her work required extensive knowledge of statutes, codes, and ordinances governing residential properties, along with the ability to clearly communicate compliance requirements to stakeholders.

She joined the City of Duluth with a strong background in mass communication. As a public relations specialist and account manager with the Flint Group of Agencies, Jessica supported a diverse client portfolio, including manufacturing, healthcare, nonprofit organizations, and craft distillers. Her work helped her clients achieve their business and communication goals. She also fostered collaboration across teams and sister companies to drive new business and strengthen existing relationships.

Jessica also brings experience promoting industry, economic development, and the trades through Northwood Technical College (formally Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College). She coordinated marketing initiatives to increase enrollment across WITC’s programs, advanced collegewide campaigns, and advocated on behalf of WITC, UW–Superior, and the City of Superior at the state capitol. She also served on the editorial board of Positively Superior.

A lifelong learner, Jessica completed the Duluth Police Department’s 2025 Citizen Police Academy, is a 2020 graduate of the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Duluth program, and a 2018 graduate of the Superior–Douglas County Area Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership program. She studied internationally in Mérida, Venezuela, while earning her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Minnesota Duluth, and she holds a Higher Diploma in Applied Communications and Public Relations from the National University of Ireland, Galway.

Jessica currently serves on the boards of Center City Housing and Bentleyville U.S.A. She was born and raised in Duluth and now lives near Chester Bowl with her family and two rescue dogs.