Jessica Pacheco

Jessica Pacheco has extensive private sector experience and for over 22 years held various executive positions in a Fortune 500 energy company, including Vice President of Corporate Development and External Communications, Vice President of External Communications, and Vice President of State and Local Affairs. Pacheco’s primary responsibilities at Pinnacle West Capital Corporation, the parent company of Arizona Public Service Company, included state and local engagement strategies, policy strategy, reputation and brand management, external and customer communications, economic development within the utility service territory and developing and expanding business opportunities within the unregulated entities under the parent umbrella. Pacheco has worked extensively in economic and community development arenas throughout Arizona, the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. She led general advocacy efforts for the Arizona Mexico Commission and the Border Trade Alliance with the governments of Mexico and Canada. Pacheco has led several policy issue campaigns in Arizona, including the successful 2018 No on Prop 127 campaign. Pacheco serves as president of the board of directors for the Arizona-Mexico Commission and finance chair for the Arizona Chamber of Commerce. She is active as a director with a number of other community and business organizations. Pacheco is a past chair of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce Foundation, past director for the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Board and Maricopa Community College Foundation Board and is past chair of the Border Trade Alliance Board. Pacheco earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Arizona and is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. She teaches a seminar at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business on utility engagement in public policy and campaign management. She is a graduate of the Stanford Executive Program and the Nuclear Reactor Technology Course at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.