Jordan B. Reese

Jordan Reese, a distinguished media relations and crisis communications professional, joined the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in 2015. His work focuses on helping the Foundation build an action framework to share its ideas, research, and initiatives among the public, health care professionals, practitioners, scholars, policymakers, community activists, and others. Reese says that he “relishes the opportunity RWJF provides to work alongside a dedicated team of public health administrators, doctors, nurses, researchers and communicators to encourage a Culture of Health in America.”

Previously, Reese was Lehigh University’s director of media relations and spokesperson. In this role, he oversaw strategic communications, issues management, crisis communications, and the expansion of the University’s social media outreach. During his tenure at Lehigh, the University was named a finalist in the Best Viral Campaign and received the 2012 Zeitgist Award for National Universities, meaning more people searched for Lehigh in 2012 (over 2011) than any other university in the nation.

Earlier, Reese served as the manager of science communications at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia where, in addition to primary media relations responsibilities, he promoted the University’s advances in natural sciences, engineering, and veterinary and dental medicine. While at Penn, he contributed numerous articles to Futurity, an online nonprofit site that features the latest discoveries by scientists at top research organizations.

Reese also served as public relations manager for the Temple University Health System in Philadelphia, overseeing media relations, internal communications, change and crisis management, and special events. Before concentrating on media, he wrote scientific and medical communications for universities and nonprofits. In a prior career track, he trained customers and provided consulting services in the information technology field.

Reese earned a MS in journalism from Temple University and a BA in writing, film and journalism from the University of Pittsburgh. He resides in Dresher, Pa., with his wife and daughter. His interests include travel and devoting as much time as possible helping to raise his daughter.