With over twelve years of experience in local county government in North Carolina, Jillian has developed extensive expertise in various benefit programs, including Medicaid, SNAP, and TANF. During that time, she held roles such as caseworker, supervisor, subject matter expert, quality assurance manager, and program administrator, providing her with a comprehensive understanding of benefits access. She left her career in local government to work for an organization where she could assist states in optimizing benefit access by guiding state leaders in implementing effective policy and practice solutions.

When this organization closed in August 2024, she began working as a policy consultant on a contract basis while also focusing on her dream of creating a nonprofit to bring her skills and experience to her community.

In addition to her work experience, she has a long history of lived experience receiving multiple public benefits as a single, working mom, providing her with a keen understanding of how access to public benefits can positively impact the trajectory of one's life. She is also aware of the burden, stigma, and often discrimination that happens when trying to navigate these programs and systems. That is why she has worked extensively to build her skills through both career and education to help transform these systems.