The Career Journey Jessica migrated north to Cleveland, Ohio where she joined her mother Johnnie Ross, stepfather Percy Ross, Sr. and her sisters Elvira, Renee, Sabira and Erma as well as her brother Percy Jr. on 84th Street in the Hough neighbor- hood. Five girls, one boy and their many friends set out to take advantage of the opportunities afforded Black people in the North during the 1970’s. Jessica, the oldest, led the charge. Their journey was not without fun. Whether it was bid whist parties, old school cabarets, attending Cleveland Browns games or bowling leagues, Jessica was always the life of the party and quick-witted. She had the ability to give it and take it. Jessica tried her hand at many jobs when she first arrived in Cleveland. She landed at Community Guidance, and it was there that she started her 50+ year career as a Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor and Certi- fied Prevention Consultant. She navigated the world of drug and alcohol abuse treatment and prevention as only she could. While at Orca House she started the first women’s treatment program in the State of Ohio with Beverly Bell and Mary Gooden and gained early recogni- tion for her strategic insight and unique talent
to work both at the grass roots level and with funding agencies.
Due to this recognition, she was one of the first group of eight prevention counselors chosen by the State of Ohio in a new program focused on providing culturally specific service deliv- ery in minority communities. UMADAOP was unique in its inception. The original pioneers Don Turner and Jacqueline Butler worked tirelessly with Rep. Mallory to pass House Bill 204 which at the time was a unique funding model. No one could imagine how this orga- nization would grow and flourish. Jessica led the Cleveland organization as a part of Orca House until she spun off and co-founded the Cleveland Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Program (UMADAOP) in 1982. With Jessica at the helm, it was the first free-standing agency. The success of UMADA- OP is attributed to all of these early pioneers. Representative Mallory at the Legislative lev- el, Jewel Smith at the State of Ohio Executive Branch level and the UMADAOP Directors which included Jessica and John Edwards, su- persized culturally specific treatment and pre- vention to new heights.
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