A committee consisting of Custer County superintendents and business leaders selected Jessi Chandler Mason as the Executive Director for CAPABLE (Custer Alliance for Preparing and Advocating for Business, Labor, and Education) beginning in October 2020.
Jessi Chandler Mason comes to CAPABLE from a diverse social work background. She began her social work career in Lincoln, Nebraska working as a women’s advocate at a domestic violence shelter, and eventually transitioned to working with refugees at Lutheran Family Services where she served as both a Health Care Liaison and a Refugee Job Developer. After her return to the area, Jessi has spent the past 7 years working at Central Plains Center for Services in the Education and Training Voucher program serving current and former state wards attending college.
Jessi and her husband, Andrew, have four children (Max, Ayla, Oliver, and Ari). She is originally from Anselmo and returned to the area after the birth of their first child. Jessi is an active member of the Custer County community. She currently serves as the President of the Anselmo-Merna Foundation, and has been an active board member of the Custer County unit of the Salvation Army for the last 5 years.
Jessi graduated from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Family Science with minors in Psychology, Sociology, and Gerontology. Soon after, she completed her Master of Social Work degree at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Custer CAPABLE President, Logan Lightfoot, expressed the organization’s excitement to welcome Mrs. Mason as Executive Director. “We are thrilled to have Jessi join our team. Like all of our member schools and businesses, she is very passionate about the success of Custer County, and committed to the development of area students.”
When asked about the opportunity to serve as the executive director for CAPABLE, she was very optimistic. “I graciously accept this opportunity and I am beyond thrilled to begin my work with CAPABLE. This position combines my passion for growing and bettering our rural communities and enhancing learning opportunities for area students. I look forward to getting to know the students and businesses of Custer County and developing meaningful relationships and partnerships.”
