Embury, Jessica

Jessica Embury is a community advocate and entrepreneur with deep roots in patient-centered care. She is a current Consumer Board Member for the Center for Family Health in Jackson, Michigan, and has proudly been a patient there for 29 years. Jessica first came to the health center as a teen mother at the age of 14, and the care and support she received began her long relationship with federally qualified health centers. Since then, she has grown up at the Center for Family Health, where all of her children also received care. Over the years, she has experienced nearly every level of service FQHCs provide, from pregnancy and pediatric care to behavioral health, nutrition, counseling, and adult primary care. 

Professionally, Jessica worked with the Community Mental Health Authority for Central Michigan 211, where she advanced from handling calls to managing resources for nine surrounding counties in a centralized database. This role gave her expertise in data management, resource navigation, and connecting people with essential services. Today, she is also an entrepreneur providing local rental housing, ensuring families have access to safe and stable homes. 

At the national level, Jessica serves with the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC). She is currently on the Membership Committee, Consumer Board Committee, and LGBTQ+ Task Force, and was recently elected to the NACHC Board of Directors as a Region V Representative. She is also an active member of the LGBTQ Health Alliance. 

Her service as Ambassador Volunteer Manager at the Center for Family Health has earned multiple honors, including the Susan B. Anthony Award for leading a fundraising event that raised $35,000 for a local domestic violence shelter, the Ambassador of the Year Award, a Special Tribute from the Michigan House of Representatives, and Congressional Recognition from the United States Senate.