Jessica Moy, 37, works in Parker, Colorado, as national conference coordinator at the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers. As a 2019 40 Under 40 honoree, Moy discusses her passion for the events industry.
What I do: I lead a group of about 45 dedicated volunteers that plan the logistics, programming and marketing for the largest Asian American career fair in the U.S. The ninth annual SASE National Conference and STEM Career Fair will take place in October in Pittsburgh, and we are anticipating 3,000 attendees.
How I got here: SASE was a new organization when I met the executive director at a barbecue to kick off the SASE Colorado Professional Chapter in 2013. At that time, the third national conference had a little more than 1,000 attendees, and SASE was looking to hire a coordinator to handle the increased responsibilities of the annual conference. My background was in international studies with a focus on Japan for my undergraduate and China for my masters, and my previous roles included being a coordinator for international relations on the Japan Exchange Teaching Program, and an outreach coordinator for the program for Teaching East Asia.
Greatest career accomplishment: I am very proud of the fact that I have helped the SASE National Conference grow from 1,300 attendees, when I started six years ago, to more than 2,600 attendees this past conference. I am optimistic we will hit our goal of more than 3,000 attendees while in Pittsburgh this fall.
Impressive stats: The conference attendance has doubled in the past six years I have been with SASE, and I have been able to maintain a successful event with the National Conference budget increasing less than 20 percent.
Specific improvement I’ve made: After meeting Syd Mandelbaum with Rock and Wrap It Up at a Connect 2014, I have been adding a phrase to our contract each year to ensure unused conference food can go to local food banks. I have also introduced the use of a mobile app during the conference and working with a third party to help source hotels and conference venues.
What I am working on now: SASE is developing a Professional Training Day, Military Initiative, Women's Initiative and SASEesports. I am also excited to have SASE be welcoming two CEOs from Fortune 500 companies to our conference October 10-12, 2019.
What I do outside of work: I am a full-time mom to a 6.5-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter. They are quite the handful at these ages, and I have started an Anxious Moms Club to help myself and others in the community get through these challenging, yet rewarding times. I also love taking photos, and am the historian for the Parent Involvement Committee at my son's school.
