MEET JESSICA SPILLERS
First and foremost, Jessica is a mom.
She has three young children. She and her husband, Jimmie, are invested in making sure Manchester remains a great place to raise a family for generations to come.
Jessica was raised in a military family and from a young age, has understood the importance of service. In 2000, her family moved to Nashua and when her father retired, New Hampshire officially became home.
As a working professional, a parent, and a member of the School Board, Jess’s priorities for Manchester align with needs of residents across the full spectrum of our community. Her years of experience at a Social Worker have turned her into a fierce advocate, fighting for the most vulnerable people across the state. Her three children—Roxanne (5), Quorra (2), and Tucker (6 months)—inspire her to continue stepping up and fighting for the future of our city!
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A Proven Track Record of Advocacy and Leadership
After obtaining her Bachelor's in Social Work from UNH in 2011, Jess and Jimmie tied the knot. Jimmie was enlisted in the Air Force and stationed in Hawaii. As soon as she set foot on island, Jess got to work. She began by working for the VA Hospital as a contracted housing specialist where she assisted homeless veterans in locating affordable housing, applying for assistance programs, and getting basic needs met. It was a challenging role, and one that pushed her to enter into a graduate program at the University of Hawaii. In 2013, Jess received her Master's in Social Work.
In 2014, Jimmie separated from the Air Force and they moved back to New Hampshire. Jess began working as an academic advisor at a local university. In 2016, they bought their home in Manchester, and Jimmie graduated college. Life began to move quickly.
Jess wanted to get back to her roots in social work, so she changed jobs to work as an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Team case manager at a community mental health center. While there, she helped clients who had diagnoses such as, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and post-traumatic stress disorder, manage their daily lives amidst the challenges these diagnoses presented. She quickly rose through the ranks becoming an ACT Team Leader.
At the NH Public Defender, she worked to establish the Social Service Advocacy program. It was created to address the root causes for a client's involvement in the criminal justice system. Homelessness, substance misuse, trauma, and access to local/State resources were common barriers clients faced. Through this work Jess helped clients resolve these issues or connected them to resources that could. Additionally, she provided bio-psychosocial assessments for use by attorneys and court. She tracked down medical records, school records, and interviewed family, friends, and coworkers of her clients, then took that information, analyzed it and put it in writing.
In 2020, Jess and Jimmie welcomed their first child and were immediately thrust into life as new parents during a global pandemic. Through pictures and video calls, Jess and Jimmie introduced their baby girl to the world.
Since 2022, Jess has worked at the State of New Hampshire as a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Specialist. She is part of the team that manages, oversees, implements, and evaluates SNAP statewide. Every day, she assists in gathering data, decoding federal regulation, and applying those findings at the most granular level—how it will impact the Field (i.e., the case workers) and the households who receive SNAP benefits.
Jess gave birth to her second child, Quorra, in 2023. At this point, Jess knew she needed to become more involved politically. She had always been an informed citizen and voter, but felt a call to action as the leadership vacuum in government became apparent. She ran to represent Ward 8 on the Manchester Board of School Committee in 2023, and won. She handily beat a well-known contender in a purple ward, solidifying her belief that Manchester was ready for change.
During her time on the school board, she has been a part of initiatives to limit cell phone use, secure the land transfer for the new Beech St. School, approve the first dual-language immersion program (in NH), broke ground on new additions at Hillside and Henry J. McLaughlin Middle Schools, create an in-house Transportation Department, block duplicative programming, and advocate on behalf of students/families at the State and local levels. Jess also wrote and published multiple Op-Eds, responded to constituent concerns/requests, and visited and spoke with staff at all 21 public schools in Manchester—all while pregnant!
Three days after giving birth to her son, Jess was at it again—advocating at an aldermanic meeting for the land transfer to be completed so construction could begin at the new Beech St. Elementary School site. As 2025 progressed, Jess found herself more and more frustrated by the decisions of the Mayor and the Board of Alderman. When the tax cap budget presented by the School District was cut by $9.5 million, Jess felt another call to action. Even though she had already announced a re-election campaign, there was a pull to move in a bigger direction. Not knowing what that might be, Jess continued to think, to strategize, and to observe what was happening. After several discussions and many sleepless nights, Jess decided to step up and run for mayor. This is the moment for new, bold leadership. This is a rising up-we want a mayor who is here for Manchester-and Jess is that mayor. Say, "Yes!" to Jess on November 4th!
Jessica at 4 years-old, practicing her salute.
Jess and Jimmie settled in Manchester in 2016.
Jess and Jimmie welcomed their first daughter, Roxanne, in 2020.
In 2023, the Spillers family welcomed their middle child, Quorra.
Tucker was born in January 2025.
Jess filed to run for School Board in Ward 8 in 2023.