Our Staff

Jessie Renew joined the Fairmount Park Conservancy team in July 2025. In her role as Conservation Technician, Jessie works on the team that maintains, repairs and restores the historic buildings and public art works in the park and beyond.

Originally from South Africa, Jessie immigrated to the South Carolina coast as a kid, where she later completed her BA in Studio Art and Art History at the College of Charleston. Jessie worked in the outdoor industry for over a decade as a kayak instructor, retail specialist and marketing director. Along with a colleague, she founded and ran The Outside Foundation, a non-profit focused on getting kids outside and protecting coastal ecology. Jessie also worked as a commercial artist, completing several painted and chalk murals for the Town of Hilton Head Island. After relocating to Philly in 2022, Jessie shifted her focus to entering the trades, and completed the City of Philadelphia and Eastern State Penitentiary’s Preservation Trades Academy. Directly prior to joining the Conservancy, Jessie was working as a gardener and landscaper, maintaining some of the most beautiful gardens in the North West. In addition, Jessie is a working fine artist focused on creative reuse, and shows in and around the city frequently. Outside of work, Jessie loves to spend time at the beach, with her pets, or in the garden.