Jessica Rivas

Jessica Rivas grew up on Chicago’s south side, raised by low-wage immigrant parents from Durango, Mexico, whose family has a long history of faming, including apple farmers who harvested and sold their own products to sustain their business.

Jessica’s connection to the farmworker community was shaped by her grandfather’s stories about the “Bracero program”, where he faced dangerous condition, exposure to pesticides that harmed his body, and the challenges of navigating a new language and culture. Her mother’s experience working in restaurants, facing struggles because of lack of information, further motivated Jessica to support low-wage workers facing similar barriers. Jessica later pursued a career in nonprofit and community service, joining AmeriCorps (NCCC) in 2013, where she supported multiple Midwest non-profits in expanding their programming and services. The same year, she was awarded the President’s Service Award for her outstanding commitment to volunteerism. She later worked with YMCA of the USA (YUSA) supporting the New American Welcome Center (NAWC) in its efforts to help immigrants integrate into their new communities through direct services, inclusion programs, and community efforts.

Jessica joined the Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project-FLAP in 2022 as a Bilingual Intake and Administrative Assistant. She was promoted to Bilingual Intake Specialist later that year, following with her promotion to Bilingual Administrative and Operations Assistant. As she supported low-wage community members through referrals, outreach, and Know Your Rights presentations.

In 2023, Jessica was promoted to Bilingual Operations and Finances Coordinator, where she began supporting the organization’s financial systems and internal operational processes. In 2025, she was promoted to Bilingual Senior Operations and Finances Coordinator, leading to her promoting to Bilingual Operations and Finances Specialist and Bilingual Manager of Operations and Finances in 2026.

Jessica’s commitment to improve working conditions and opportunities for low-wage workers is deeply rooted in her family’s experiences and her belief in the importance of supporting low-wage workers who face systemic barriers. Inspired by her mother’s work as an essential worker, she is motivated to fight the people FLAP serves. She sees these workers like her family and that is what keeps her going.

Jessica holds Nonprofit Finance Certificate from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management (2023) and participated in EACI Financial Management Cohort in 2024, where she enhanced her skills in nonprofit budgeting, financial health, and operational leadership. She is bilingual in English and Spanish and remains committed to strengthening the systems that allow FLAP to serve low-wage workers and their families.