Jessica Vallelungo serves as the Director of Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Jump Start for the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE). Before joining the LDOE Team in 2018, she began her career in Louisiana public schools in 2005. During her years in the public school systems she has served in multiple roles including CTE Coordinator, Dual Enrollment Coordinator, and Digital Media Instructor. In these capacities, she helped spearhead the development and implementation of high wage, high demand pathways, develop and grow dual enrollment programs, manage federal and state funds, and expand industry-based certifications (IBC) offerings. Her vested interest in quality CTE programs stems from a childhood on the bayous of coastal Louisiana and teenage years surrounded by emerging technology.