Jessica Wilson Builds a Career Rooted in Conservation and Stewardship

When Jessica Wilson thinks about the path that led her to Cape Fear Community College, she recalls a conversation with her then-3-year-old daughter.

At the time, Wilson had already graduated from UNCW with a degree in English literature, focusing on environmental writing. She was thinking about what might come next as she and her daughter had dinner one evening.

Wilson asked her daughter, “If you could have anything ever, what would it be?”

“A tree house,” her daughter answered.

The simple response got Wilson thinking about what she wanted for her own future.

“I wanted to build an off-grid home. That was why I decided to go to CFCC,” Wilson said.

That decision in 2012 set Wilson on a path that would take her from CFCC into a career focused on sustainable construction and, eventually, to her current role as Director of Education and Technical Services for Carolinas Ready Mixed Concrete Association (CRMCA).

Finding her way to CFCC

The idea of building an off-grid home gave Wilson a practical goal. CFCC offered exactly the education she was looking for.

She began in Sustainable Technologies before moving into Construction Management after realizing how many of her credits would apply to the program. She also discovered that she genuinely enjoyed the construction side of her education.

“My passions have always been rooted in conservation efforts and stewardship,” she said. “And so for me, it was a natural transition to my larger life goals.”

CFCC also introduced her to ideas and opportunities that would continue to shape her career. Construction Management Instructor John Wojciechowski’s knowledge of architecture and regenerative design was especially influential.

In one of his classes, Wilson learned about LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a green building rating and certification system administered by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Years later, she would work for the U.S. Green Building Council for more than six years.

Making an impact through concrete

Today, as Director of Education and Technical Services at CRMCA, Wilson works with concrete producers across North Carolina and South Carolina.

A major part of her role is connecting different parts of the construction industry. Wilson describes it as bridging the “chasm” between architects and designers, construction companies, and concrete producers.

“Concrete is the 2nd most consumed material on the planet, next to water,” she said. “There are so many opportunities in this field to reduce resource impact.”

Her work has earned recognition from across the industry. In 2025, Wilson received the Promoter of the Year Award from the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA). She was named a Sustainability Leadership Initiative (SLI) Fellow for Furman University, and was selected as a 40 Under 40 Award recipient by the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce.

CRMCA was also recently named Association of the Year by NRMCA. The accomplishment was particularly meaningful because Wilson can see the results of the work across a large group of concrete producers. She also values the unique role an association can play in bringing competing companies together around shared goals.

“You have concrete companies competing in the marketplace, but from an association standpoint, we’re all focused on advancing the industry,” Wilson said. “We put our differences and individual markets aside and come together to move the industry forward.”

Staying connected to CFCC

More than a decade after attending CFCC, Wilson’s relationship with the college continues.

When CRMCA hosted a program at CFCC’s downtown campus focused on the benefits of resilient construction and design, Wilson saw an opportunity to reconnect with the college that helped shape her career. She reached out to Wojciechowski and invited his students to attend.

For Wilson, the experience was a full-circle moment and another reminder of how one opportunity can lead to the next.

A Life She Built

Today, Wilson lives on her small homestead in Winnabow, surrounded by many of the things she once imagined when she decided to pursue an education at CFCC.

There are horses, chickens, goats, and a duck named Lucky Duck. She has pecans, muscadines, and an old pear tree, and she grows seasonal vegetables for her family.

Looking back, Wilson knows there were plenty of hard days along the way to building the life she wanted.

“You are going to have hard days in life. I was a single mom to a 3-year-old when I was going through Cape Fear. And there were plenty of days that I can recall that were like that. It’s kind of a miracle that I’m here now.”

Those experiences taught Wilson the importance of foresight and grit, as well as faith in what she could not yet see.

“You never know what opportunity is going to create a new opportunity,” she said.

For Wilson, that has certainly been true. The 10-hour-a-week job she took while attending CFCC eventually became a full-time position. Her interest in conservation and stewardship ultimately shaped her career. And the skills she gained along the way continue to serve her today.

“Every single skill that I’ve gathered along the way still serves me,” she said. “I just followed a passion that I had. And that’s kind of guided me my entire life.”