Ms. Jessica Hester

A native of Northwest Arkansas, Jessica loves shaping the built environment in ways that elevate the quality of life for the many communities Verdant Studio serves. A Placemaker at heart, she is a licensed Realtor and an active member of the NWA chapter of the Urban Land Institute focused on building a Women’s Leadership Initiative. In the studio, she thrives at the collaborative intersection of research, analysis, design, and technical expertise. After graduating from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Architecture she earned a Master of Science in Design Research at the University of Michigan's Taubman College of Architecture and Design. She co-founded an architecture practice in Rome, Georgia selling that in 2016 to return Northwest Arkansas. After a brief stint as the University of Arkansas Community Design Center's staff architect, she founded Verdant Studio. Jessica’s creative entrepreneurial vision is driven by her love of critical thinking, organizational management, and the communication strategies necessary to deliver superb, on-budget solutions for Verdant Studio’s clients. Jessica is a registered architect in Arkansas and Oklahoma and her professional affiliations include the American Institute of Architects (AIA), The National Association of Realtors, The Urban Land Institute (ULI) - NWA Board Member, and the Congress for New Urbanism. When she’s not at the office you can find her on the back porch with her dog Lucy, drinking wine and listening to folk music, or cooking dinner with her husband Chris.