Germans Continue to Lead in the Response to the Migration Crisis
Jessica Hart
Director, Finance and Operations
Ms. Jessica Hart is a nonprofit management professional with more than eighteen years of experience leading finance, operations, and strategic communications at the American-German Institute, where she currently serves as Director of Finance and Operations. She is a key advisor to the President and guides organizational strategy, financial stewardship, and long-term sustainability.
Jessica oversees all financial operations, including budgeting, audits, and regulatory compliance, while managing a $2 million annual budget. She partners closely with the President and the Board of Trustees to align financial planning with institutional goals and drive effective fundraising strategies. Jessica also leads organizational operations, including human resources, internal systems, and cross-departmental coordination, ensuring efficiency and accountability across the Institute.
Prior to her current position, Jessica led communications at AGI, where she developed and implemented the organization’s first comprehensive content strategy. She oversaw publications, media relations, and digital engagement, including launching a successful podcast and executing major branding and website initiatives. She has held roles spanning editorial leadership, financial management, and program coordination, producing policy publications and managing international conferences across the United States and Europe.
Jessica holds a Master of Arts in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which included a year of study in Berlin. She holds a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Political Science and International Studies from The Ohio State University. She is proficient in German and brings a strong background in transatlantic relations to her work.
In addition to her professional responsibilities, Jessica is an active community leader, serving on the Executive Committee of Families for Safe Streets and the Steering Committee of DC Families for Safe Streets.
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As reported by The Washington Post, Germans, “to a far greater extent than the British, the French or others, have opened their hearts — and wallets. According to a poll commissioned by the German public broadcaster ARD and released on Thursday, 88 percent said they would donate money or clothes to refugees or have already done so, while 67 percent said they would volunteer to help. Only 33 percent of those asked said Germany should take less refugees, compared with 37 percent who said they could take in as many as there are now, and 22 percent who said Germany should take more.”
Much of this is driven by the stance taken by Chancellor Angela Merkel, who continues to welcome refugees and migrants into the country, while also calling on her European counterparts to open their doors and wallets. In a recent interview with Berliner Morgenpost (in German), Merkel insists that European immigration policies aren’t working, and a new EU-wide plan is needed.
