Jason Hess

About Jason Hess

I am pursuing a career in industrial policy, economic development, and national security focused on strengthening America’s manufacturing base and restoring economic opportunity in communities shaped by industrial transition. I’m particularly interested in roles with economic development agencies, federal government (DOE, Commerce, Defense, Labor), congressional staff, policy organizations, and engineering project management in Ohio, Pennsylvania, or Washington, DC.Born a premature triplet at 29 weeks in Youngstown, Ohio, weighing less than three pounds, doctors told my parents I might not make it and later that I would likely struggle to graduate high school. I grew up between Youngstown and New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, a small Amish farming town, where I learned early how geography, institutions, and opportunity shape life outcomes.I played high school football at 102 pounds, became a team captain, and later served as an assistant varsity football coach while studying mechanical engineering. I watched my grandparents’ generation lose stable work when Youngstown’s steel mills closed and saw firsthand how manufacturing decline and poor coordination hollow out communities over time.At Youngstown State University, I studied mechanical engineering, built race cars, worked on aerospace and advanced manufacturing systems, maintained a 3.9 GPA, and in 2023 became the first Truman Scholar in the university’s history.I am currently a master’s in public policy student at the Harvard Kennedy School studying industrial policy, economic development, energy and trade, and public-sector execution. My work spans state and local government, federal and international policy, crisis response, manufacturing, and applied economic development. I am seeking roles where analysis and execution intersect to rebuild productive capacity and restore dignity through good jobs.

Experience

1. Assistant Varsity Football Coach

   Wilmington Area High School

   Jun 2020 — Present · New Wilmington, PA, US

   Served as primary deputy to head coach, overseeing coaching staff operations, coordinating all logistics for practices and games, and mentoring 100+ student-athletes from working-class backgrounds across hours (3 years volunteer, 1 year paid).

Education

• Youngstown State University

  Bachelor's degree, Mechanical Engineering

  2020 — 2024

• Harvard University

  Master's degree, Public Policy

• Harvard Kennedy School

  Master's degree, Public Policy

• Wilmington Area High School

  High School Diploma

  2016 — 2020