Jessica Wagner-Schultz serves as Chief Advancement & Communications Officer at Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University (LCOOU), where she established and leads the institution’s Office of Institutional Advancement. In this role, she oversees fundraising strategy, communications, marketing, brand development, community engagement, and institutional partnerships. She works closely with executive leadership and the Board of Regents to advance strategic planning, organizational performance, and long-term institutional priorities that support the University’s mission and sustainability.

Throughout her tenure at LCOOU, Wagner-Schultz has led transformative advancement initiatives, including the development of the University’s first comprehensive annual giving campaign and inaugural capital campaign. She has cultivated strategic partnerships with Tribal Nations, foundations, corporations, and higher education organizations to strengthen institutional visibility, increase philanthropic investment, and support student success.

Prior to joining LCOOU, Wagner-Schultz held leadership roles in philanthropy and nonprofit management, including at United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County, where she managed donor engagement strategies, volunteer leadership initiatives, and fundraising networks that generated millions of dollars in annual charitable support. Her professional experience reflects a consistent commitment to collaborative leadership, stakeholder engagement, strategic communications, and mission-driven organizational growth.

Wagner-Schultz is currently pursuing a Doctor of Philanthropic Leadership degree through the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Her research focuses on Indigenous-centered philanthropy and explores how philanthropic systems can support sovereignty, self-determination, and long-term sustainability within Tribal Colleges and Universities. Through both her professional practice and academic work, she is dedicated to advancing Native-led institutions and fostering transformational change across the philanthropic sector.

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University provided me and my family an opportunity to relocate back to the Northwoods of Wisconsin and for me to do the work that I love.

Spending time with my family, gardening, and reading.

Wagner-Schultz is active in the Northern Wisconsin region, she currently serves as President of the Sawyer County/Lac Courte Oreilles Economic Development Corporation, as a Board member for Visions Northwest, on the Strategic Direction Committee for Northwest Wisconsin Workforce Investment Board, as an Advisory Committee Member for NorthLakes Community Clinic, and is a Member of the Hayward Area Rotary Club.