Jessica Sena

Independent Communications Consultant

I was born in Montana and moved to Nebraska until my senior year of college. Having completed three years at a private liberal arts school in Lincoln, complete with all of the progressive ideology fostered in such an insulated culture, I decided to move north to experience another way of life.

For a year and a half, I worked as a ranch hand and earned my B.A. in Communications at Dickinson State University – a two hour commute each way from the ranch, five days a week. It was there, on the ranch near Grassy Butte, that my desire to defend rural lifestyles was born.

Once I graduated, I came full circle back to Montana, working in Choteau for two years in various entry-level positions; building fence, cleaning house, substitute teaching, and waiting tables.

Fast forward to 2012, I had just finished working on an unsuccessful political campaign and knew exactly where I wanted to go – to work in the private sector defending laborers and trade industries from political and public push-back against a way of life I had come to know and love.

That’s how I became an independent contractor nearly six years ago.

Today, I am passionate about advocating for blue collared workers in heritage industries by helping companies in natural resource development tell their story from a proactive position that makes key messages stick.

I’ve hit the road for weeks at a time to host townhall meetings. I’ve worked side by side with oilfield laborers to gain firsthand experience and to better communicate the importance of their jobs to regulators and the media. I’ve advocated on behalf of industry at the Montana legislature and spoken to a variety of business and community groups on energy and environmental policy.

In addition to working as a communications consultant, I’ve guest hosted on Voices of Montana, and appeared on a variety of podcasts and energy programs, including the Heartland Daily Podcast, Powering America Radio, the MonDak Oilfield Report, and others.

With the growing impact of public opinion on public policy, I am driven to expand industry outreach through prominent media platforms, promoting the many ignored, unknown, and forgotten benefits that extraction industries provide. Their place in our society is indispensable.