User:Jessica DeLoach

Jessica DeLoach Sabin is a political analyst and commentator and also serves as the executive director of Arkansans for the Arts. In 2015, she was named by AY Magazine as one of Arkansas’s “most powerful women” for her work in politics and civic engagement.

Early Life
DeLoach Sabin attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock as a Chancellor's Leadership Corps Scholar and Friday-Sturgis Scholar where she earned a triple major in Political Science, Theater Arts and Liberal Arts. She was elected vice president of the student government, served as the president of the UALR Young Democrats, and was appointed to the UALR Martin Luther King, Jr. Academy by the university. In 2006, she earned a scholarship to attend Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. to study philanthropy and voluntary studies. During this time, she also served as the assistant to the Mid-Atlantic Director for Young Arts National Arts Foundation (formerly the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts.) In 2008, she was named a W.K. Kellogg Scholar and served as the assistant to the Producing Artistic Director of the Arkansas Repertory Theater. She is currently a member of Class X at the Clinton School of Public Service and is seeking a second masters degree in public administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Politics
Sabin’s early work in politics was largely concentrated on political campaigns and consulting. At the same time, she was focused on boosting civic engagement among young voters throughout the state and in 2011 was elected to serve as the President of the Young Democrats of Arkansas.

During her tenure, she expanded the reach of the organization by revitalizing numerous inactive chapters and organizing groups in new areas around the state. Sabin expanded the organization's outreach efforts by launching a social media initiative to reach new demographics and to create a responsive network that both served to keep voters informed on policy and legislation and to provide them with a means to act in response to the efforts of elected officials across the state. Sabin’s fundraising efforts also served to make the organization financially strong and self-sufficient. While serving in her role as president, she simultaneously held responsibilities with the Young Democrats of America as the Chair of Community Service and the Secretary of the Rural Caucus.

In 2012, Sabin was elected to serve as a super delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Prior to this, her efforts to make politics more accessible to young voters in Arkansas inspired Soiree Magazine to name her as one of 2012’s Women to Watch and for the Arkansas Times to feature her as one of 2011’s “Those Who Care” – a list of 8 young Arkansans under 35 who are doing extraordinary work within the state.

Her efforts to push the Young Democrats of America to pass a resolution to support the full enforcement of the Clean Air Act during the 2011 YDA National Convention caught the attention of her elected officials back home and was shortly thereafter appointed to the Arkansas Alternative Energy Commission by then-Speaker of the House, Robert Moore. She has since been reappointed twice by former Speaker Davy Carter and current Speaker Jeremy Gillam.

Political Analysis & Commentary
In 2013, Jessica was approached by KARK Channel 4 to serve as a weekly analyst on their segment “Political Plays” and Sunday morning show “Capitol View.” Shortly thereafter, she was approached by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette’s weekly publication, Sync Magazine, to serve as a weekly columnist on progressive and democratic politics.

Sabin has also contributed to the Southwest Arkansas News, which includes the Nashville News, the Montgomery County News, the Glenwood Herald, and the Murfreesboro Diamond. In June 2015, Jessica received her first award from the Arkansas Press Association for her editorial work “Negative Spending,” which was featured in these publications.

In December 2014, Sabin joined the state’s leading political and business news source, Talk Business and Politics. By visiting Talkbuiness.net, you can read her regular commentary and view recordings on her on-air work with TB&P CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Roby Brock.