Jess Koloini is President and Chief Executive Officer of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth, where she leads the organization’s mission to advance global understanding through dialogue, education, and international engagement across North Texas.

A seasoned global leader, Jess brings more than two decades of experience spanning international affairs, aerospace and defense, national security, and nonprofit leadership. Her work centers on building trust across cultures, leading complex organizations, and aligning diverse stakeholders around critical issues in the world’s most complex geopolitical environments.

Most recently, Jess held senior leadership roles at Lockheed Martin, overseeing multi-billion-dollar international programs and strategic initiatives across the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East in close collaboration with U.S. government agencies, foreign governments, and military leaders.

Jess holds a Master of International Affairs from the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. She is proficient in Spanish, Japanese and Arabic, which she learned via a language immersion in Oman.

Jess’ connection to the Council is longstanding. Earlier in her career, she spent more than six years at the organization, rising to Vice President of Programs and leading hundreds of successful programs to strengthen international education, fundraising, and community engagement. She and her husband, Travis Kelly, met there as interns, and have continued to actively support its mission of global engagement, a passion they are now sharing with their young son, Aidan.