Jessica was nominated twice for The Faces of Suwanee! She is an amazing young lady who overcame great adversity, went back to school to build her career, volunteers, and participates in most things in our community. She also serves on several charitable boards. She is an all-around great person to know and someone to truly admire!
Please tell us a little about your family.
My husband, Rick, and I live with two adopted tiny dogs — a chihuahua named Beyonce and a rat terrier mix named Ruthie. I have a stepson, Chase, who lives in Dacula.
Tell us about your current and past career. What do you love most about it?
I’ve worked in the construction industry since 2002 and at Geo-Hydro Engineers since 2016. Our firm provides environmental, geotechnical, materials testing and special inspections for commercial construction projects. We help clients in both the public and private sector mitigate risk and keep their projects moving forward. I have learned a lot about the construction process, and specifically how what we do helps the construction team avoid potential pitfalls and recognize issues early in the building process. We also perform testing on existing buildings that may be contaminated with lead, asbestos, or other hazardous materials. The thing I love the most about my job is the people, our clients, and people I am privileged to call coworkers. Our clients see the value in what we do and use us repeatedly for their projects. That says a lot about our reputation in the industry. I also work with some of the smartest individuals I have ever met. Our engineers, geologists, environmental scientists, and technicians deeply care about what they do and are always willing to share their knowledge with me. Clients always tell me a big part of why they love doing business with us is because we are extremely responsive, and solution driven.
What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
Brown Bag Deli is one of my favorites because they have a veggie slam sandwich that I absolutely love. It’s also the restaurant that Rick and I ate at on our first date after running the Suwanee Greenway on June 8, 2014. I also love Mellow Mushroom because they have some great vegan food options, as well as Hacienda for great Mexican food. Hacienda has a farmers market enchilada, and if you order it without cheese, it satisfies a vegan diet quite well.
How long have you lived or worked here?
Rick and I moved here from Sugar Hill in 2018. My firm worked on the Solis Suwanee project, and we were downsizing from a house and wanted to rent in a mixed-use community with great walkability. I knew that project was a top-notch product, so we took the tour, and my husband was sold on apartment living.
What is your favorite thing about Suwanee?
There are so many reasons why I love Suwanee. It is the place I met my husband on our first date after meeting online. Since we are both avid outdoors people who like to run, Suwanee offers us a beautiful greenway right outside our front door. I have been able to train for everything from 5Ks to half marathons on our greenway. Suwanee is also a wonderfully walkable community. Even though we moved from the apartment to a new townhouse down the street in 2020, we can still walk downtown. Suwanee’s commitment to the arts and public art is another reason we love this city. Since my first visit I was drawn to the creativity of the public art installations, the arts center, and the numerous creative events that Suwanee holds every year.
What current or former business, or place, makes you feel the most nostalgic about Suwanee?
Ah yes, the place that I hold most dear in the entire world is the very place Rick and I met in 2014, the Suwanee Creek Park parking lot that leads to the Greenway. It was our first date. I wanted to go running on our first date and he suggested we meet there. He was 15 minutes late because he got lost! (And by the way, he is the one who suggested we meet there.) But he finally showed up and we ran for a bit and then he kindly asked if he could see me again for another date and I said … how about now? “I am hungry, so is there a place to eat around here?” He mentioned the Town Center, so we drove over and found Brown Bag Deli. Every single time I pass the entrance to Suwanee Creek Park my heart flutters. We even organized a run there the morning of our wedding with a few friends.
If you could take anyone to lunch, dead or alive, who would that be?
My maternal grandmother Grace Savino. She died in 1997 of lung cancer and I miss her greatly. She played a huge part in raising me. She was the first generation born in the U.S. after my great grandparents emigrated from Italy. She is the woman who taught me how to cook, and I must say I feel I am pretty good at it. I’ve been cooking since I was a small child making sauces, meatballs, chicken parmesan, and many other Italian dishes. She also taught me about hard work. She loved working since she began her career as an assembly worker during WWII. My grandfather served as a paratrooper in the United States Army and was present at Normandy on D-Day. My grandmother was holding down the fort, so to speak, at home working every day. She worked almost up until she died and loved every minute of it. I am sad that she never got to see how good my life turned out and I still wish I could tell her how big of an impact she had on me.
Where would you go?
I would treat my grandmother to a plate of my own cooking. She always preferred home-cooked meals anyway, and I would want to show her my skills in the kitchen.
What is the most beautiful place you have ever been?
Positano, Italy, in 2022. As a third generation Italian American going back to my homeland was a huge moment for me. I never thought I would get to see Italy, but my dear husband convinced me that we should take to plunge and go. Positano, on the Amalfi Coast, was the most beautiful place I have ever seen, with lemons as big as grapefruits and the most exquisite plates of food. The people, the colorful seaside town, the mountainous area with houses built into them was an experience I will never forget.
What was the first movie you remember seeing in a theatre?
My grandmother took me to see Lady and the Tramp, the Disney cartoon. The spaghetti scene was my absolute favorite. See, it’s always about the food!
Tell me something that’s on your bucket list.
I don’t really have a bucket list, perse, because I always tell myself if I want to do something, just go for it. I’m doing a lot of things I never thought possible. This year I’m graduating from GGC with a degree in Public Administration at the age of 54. I am also registered for two half marathons. I guess if there was one fun thing I may try in the future it would be to get on the Food Network in some sort of home cooks competition. I feel like I would be a strong contender.
What advice would you give to a crowd of people?
Don’t be in a crowd of people. I hate crowds.
Who is the most interesting person you have ever met in Suwanee?
Every Villager I have ever met at Annandale Village. I love volunteering there. I learn so much about so many different people there and have made many friendships over the years. Every time I leave Annandale Village, I feel like the luckiest soul on earth to know them.
What type of music do you like?
Truth be told, I am a huge Barry Manilow fan. There you go. I said it out in the open now and can’t take it back. I’ve seen him three times in concert and have almost all his songs memorized.
Tell me something interesting about you that most people don’t know.
My husband and I almost died in 2017. It was a police chase in Sugar Hill that ended with the car we were riding in getting hit by a stolen vehicle. I was hospitalized for almost three weeks and ended up with multiple intestinal perforations and a spinal fusion to fix broken vertebrae. It took three months of physical and psychological therapy to get me back to work and living life again. The only reason we are alive today is because we both wore our seatbelts as back seat passengers. PSA as a back seat passenger you should ALWAYS wear your seatbelt. Not only will you save your life, but the life of those in the front seats.
Would you rather sing to a crowd of 50 people or speak to a crowd of 500?
Since I’ve been in large rooms and sang karaoke, I would have to say speak to a crowd of 500, simply because I haven’t done it yet and I am always up for a challenge.
