ATHENA Finalist: Jessica Berg, Lodestar Day Resource Center

Jessica Berg has been a camp director, an art therapist, an event organizer, a mentor and non-profit executive director. Throughout her eclectic career, however, the overarching theme has been helping others achieve their full potential. She encourages, empowers and facilitates the successes of others for the betterment of us all.

As executive director of Lodestar Day Resource Center in downtown Phoenix, Berg oversees a multi-agency cooperative that aids the homeless. Five years after taking over the organization – and a $300,000 budget deficit - Berg has helped stabilize and grow the complex operation, which now annually helps more than 4,500 individuals find a path to self-sufficiency and success.

“I’ve always been drawn to this cause,” Berg says. “If you pass by a stray dog on the street, you wonder who to call because the dog is going to get hurt. Yet we walk past stray people all the time. It’s not okay.”

Co-workers and mentees alike praise Berg’s leadership, mentoring abilities and business sense. She nurtures support groups and entrepreneurial initiatives that transform lives, leads and encourages her staff and works in the community to promote the arts and help those affected by violence.