The Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce’s Concord Young Professionals Network (CYPN) introduces you to another Young Professional of the Month, Jessica O’Hare.
How old are you? 30.
Where do you live? Concord.
Where do you currently work? Northern Forest Center.
Where did you go to school? Smith College.
What do you like to do for fun? I’m a Jill-of-all-trades. I’ll try almost anything that involves the outdoors. Lately, I’ve been exploring what it takes to learn jazz piano.
Favorite places to be? Anywhere on snow, good local dive bars . . . I’m also a frequenter of coffee shops, and lover of reimagined historic places, like the Kimball-Jenkins Estate or the Kimball House at the Capitol Center for the Arts.
Last book you’ve read? Girl on the Train. I’m deadline-driven – the movie helped motivate me to plow through it.
How did you find out about CYPN and how has it benefited your business or you personally? I used to attend the monthly Green Drinks that has since gone dormant. Someone mentioned CYPN to me there, and I’ve been going since. I’ve made many valuable connections at CYPN, found new friends, and honed my networking skills.
What organizations are you involved with? I co-chair the membership committee at the Capitol Center for the Arts, and I’m a program manager at a community development nonprofit, working to keep forests as forests in northern New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont and the Adirondacks.
Greatest role model? Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Against all odds, her incisive mind and grit got her to the Supreme Court after growing up poor, watching her mom struggle to raise two kids on her own, and grappling with Type I Diabetes from an early age. Helps me keep it all in perspective.
What’s your favorite restaurant in Concord? Beijing and Tokyo – the price is right. And it has karaoke.
What’s your favorite place to go in Concord? Open water swimming at Hot Hole Pond.
Favorite movie of all time? Zoolander.
What is one of your life goals? Let’s be real – homeownership. Debt is a terrifying thing for people my age, and we are drowning in it.
What has been your favorite CYPN event so far? Contra dancing!!
Favorite famous person? Jason Schwartzman. He’s a triple threat. He acts, produces films and TV shows, and has one of the most delightful pop songs of the last 10 years, “West Coast.”
If you could visit any country, where would you go? Iceland. Vietnam. New Zealand. India. Ahh!
Where is the best place you’ve visited? The Swedish countryside; I was lucky to be there for their annual “turning out of the cows.” People drive from Stockholm to the countryside to watch cows walk out of a barn, and enjoy dairy products.
Who would you really like to meet? The Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
Tell us a few interesting facts about yourself: I was born in Texas. I love singing. I secretly love self-improvement books.
The Concord Young Professionals Network (CYPN) is a professional and personal development initiative of the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce. CYPN is a vibrant program that promotes networking opportunities for young professionals (generally 22-40s) by helping them make connections in the community and providing them with a casual, non-intimidating setting. CYPN hosts complimentary events on the third Wednesday of every month at various Concord venues. For more info, connect with us on Facebook at facebook.com/concordypn, Instagram at instagram.com/cypn and Twitter at twitter.com/ConcordYP.
