Jason Reece

Jason is the director of research for the Kirwan Institute, directing the Institute’s multimillion dollar annual research portfolio. He acts as an advisor and capacity builder to foundations, non-profits, community organizations and government agencies on issues related to community development, social equity in planning, civic engagement, GIS, and health equity. Jason was formerly the director of the Opportunity Communities Program at the Kirwan Institute and co-developed the opportunity mapping methodology with John A. Powell, a methodology which has been adopted or utilized by more than dozens of non-profit, public sector and philanthropic partners and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. He has managed and developed $6.5 million in grant and contract research since 2007 and has extensive experience working in the non-profit sector and public sector at the city, regional and state level, experience acting as a facilitator. Jason is also an adjunct faculty and lecturer, having taught undergraduate and graduate courses, focused on social equity in planning, at the Knowlton School of Architecture at The Ohio State University. Jason has assisted community organizations, philanthropic organizations, public agencies and other non-profit or faith based organizations in more than thirty states and is recognized as a national expert in data informed decision making to assist in social justice advocacy, community building and civic engagement.