We are excited to welcome Jess Limbird (she/they) to our Community Action Council! As the owner and founding member of Confluence Consulting in Lewisburg, TN, Jess brings a rich background in education, public health, prevention, and positive youth development to Tennessee Nonprofit Network. Jess joined the Community Action Council last year, but we’re excited to officially welcome them to the Community Action Council on our blog!
Originally from Nashville, Jess spent fifteen years in Alaska before returning to their home state. Now, through Confluence Consulting, Jess supports individuals and nonprofits in building for change, working with professionals to enhance leadership and increase impact, often through collaborative efforts with other changemakers.
Jess’s decision to join the Community Action Council stems from a career dedicated to nonprofit work. They see this role as a way to support Tennessee Nonprofit Network’s larger vision, advocate for rural issues, and strengthen nonprofit infrastructure as a tool for community building in south-central Tennessee.
Jess hopes to contribute to growing nonprofit infrastructure in south-central Tennessee, specifically in Marshall County. They emphasize that the nonprofit sector provides valuable services, contributes to cultural shifts, and brings jobs to beloved rural communities. With over fifteen years of experience across various nonprofit roles, Jess looks forward to sharing their expertise, lessons learned, and ambitious ideas with Tennessee Nonprofit Network.
Jess lives in Lewisburg with their partner and two of their three children, and five of their six cats!
As a freelance project manager and nonprofit and network consultant, Jess is primarily interested in developing teams and leaders to drive systemic change, beginning with individuals themselves. They enjoy the opportunity that social innovation and systems change offer—a chance to reframe current contexts and collectively envision futures where everyone can flourish.
Jess recommends Heather McGhee’s “The Sum of Us: How Racism Impacts Us All.” This book highlighted for Jess how major current crises, including economic, climate, and social issues, have roots in experimentation within Black American communities, strengthening their resolve to work for social, and particularly racial, justice.
Having relocated to Lewisburg in Marshall County after growing up in Nashville, Jess loves being close to Henry Horton State Park, gardening, and exploring local trails and waterfalls. They enjoy being outdoors (except in July and August!) and value the opportunity to learn from and grow with the people in their community.
For those embarking on a nonprofit career, Jess offers valuable advice: “Go to therapy.” They explain that many enter helping professions due to their care for people, which can sometimes lead to prioritizing others’ needs over their own. Nonprofit life can sometimes exploit self-sacrificing individuals who lack boundaries. Therapy, Jess suggests, can help unpack unspoken needs and unmet expectations, fostering self-knowledge and self-love, and is a useful tool.
Beyond their work with Tennessee Nonprofit Network, Jess is particularly passionate about increasing community connections—linking people to each other, information, and opportunities. This involves helping to craft memorable events, conversations, and experiences within their community.
A fun fact about Jess is that they really wanted to play the flute as a child but started with the recorder. They played the recorder through elementary, middle, and high school, even attending an international recorder camp in Bloomington, Indiana.