Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Washington.
Jess began her career at AkzoNobel Inc. in 2007 as the accounting assistant to the Controller, where she was responsible for overseeing site financials and capital expenditure projects. Within two years, she received an internal promotion as a Customer Service Manager for the company’s U.S. southwest region. In 2011, Jess packed her bags and took her talents to the boutique book publisher and distributor, Greenleaf Book Group, LLC in Austin.
But Dallas is where Jess’ heart is, and so, at the end of 2012, she made her way back to the city by leveraging her accounting and customer service experience into positions at Technifax Office Solutions (now DEX Imaging) and the Dallas-based architectural design firm, Faulkner Design Group. She made use of her strong finance background, creating and implementing solutions for assets recovery and assisting with contract management.
Then, in 2017, life changed, first with her marriage to the then President of the Dallas Weekly, followed by the birth of their first child later that year. Wanting to spend more time with her son, Jess decided to join her husband’s family business.,
Once there, she drew on all facets of her previous corporate experience to assist the CEO in restructuring the company to maximize their abilities in the digital era.
Today, Jess is responsible for the financial functions of the Dallas Weekly in addition to assisting the Publisher with growing and managing DW’s client relationships, vendors and projects. With her extensive experience in finance, customer service, business operations, and internal controls, Jess also serves as an invaluable asset providing feedback on creating experiences that better attract future clients.
In every role she plays within the Dallas Weekly, the former Southern Arkansas University Mulerider (tennis) considers it is her mission to advance the level of service provided by DW and leave a legacy for her children. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Metamorphosis Theatre group and the J & P Foundation.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s no secret that the print industry is “dying.” One of our biggest challenges is remaining a fresh viable resource of news for our community. To that end, a major obstacle that I believe we successfully overcame is meeting our audience where they are. We had to accept that although our legacy had been built on providing information through print, the world was moving to digital and we had to switch as well… we had to communicate via social platforms… and most of all, we had to catch up! Now you can find Dallas Weekly news on our website, mobile app and all social media platforms.
And we have every intention on growing that digital audience in the near future with virtual events that her community-oriented. I really have to thank my husband (owner, CEO & Co-Publisher Patrick Washington) for allowing me to take the reins on the digital side when I got to Dallas Weekly.
Of course, like many other businesses nowadays, one of our biggest challenges is cash flow. Although we are a black newspaper located in a predominantly black community, the majority of our revenue is received from businesses outside of our community. One of my biggest goals for 2021 is to boost the “ecosystem” of the black communities of Dallas. If you want to know what’s going on in Black Dallas, I want you to rely on the Dallas Weekly.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We hold the distinction of having served the Dallas community weekly on a continuous basis since 1954. We are aware of our unique presence in the Dallas metroplex and cover news of interest to the entire area. Our Spiritual features reach beyond our region. Our feature writers provide insight into city activities from entertainment to City Hall to sports, culture and more. In addition to our continuously published newspaper, our digital reach has exploded over the past year, culminating in our first annual Best of Black Dallas survey.
What’s next?
We are researching ideas even now for an internet radio show and look forward to producing more YouTube content for our viewers as well. Of course, we have had to make some adjustments to our goals due to Covid-19, but one thing we’d like to add in the future is a regular travel blog, especially since we’re expanding our coverage to include the international diaspora.
Contact Info:
- Email: Finance@dallasweekly.con
- Website: dallasweekly.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dallasweekly/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/dallas.weekly/
- Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/dallasweekly
- Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/user/DallasWeekly1
Image Credits
Rickey Laredo Jr.
