Jayme Abbott - A very neighborly advocate

Jaymee Abbott is the neighborhood services coordinator for Jefferson City municipal government.
Jaymee Abbott is the neighborhood services coordinator for Jefferson City municipal government.

Jayme Abbott, Jefferson City's neighborhood services coordinator, likes that her position allows her to have a hand in helping the city be the best it can be.

"There's such a wide array of tasks that I do," she said.

She manages various grants the city receives and is the city's liaison to the Historic Preservation Commission, a group that works for identification and preservation of historical sites in the area.

"My job also includes applying for grants and searching out additional ones," she said.

Abbott has worked for the city in her current position within the Planning and Protective Services Department since February 2013. Prior to joining the city, she worked for the state for nine years - most recently as a compliance specialist with the Department of Economic Development.

She has a bachelor's degree in psychology from Southeast Missouri State University.

"I studied how people and the community work together," she said.

She began her career as a crisis advocate for a domestic violence shelter, which is where she began writing grants.

"It developed in that way, and I have a real interest in it," she said. "I've really learned a lot over the years."

She said her position with the city is vital.

"It does have an impact on the community," she said. "It's hard to think outside of the box of what I don't do."

Abbott lives in Jefferson City with her husband, Michael, and two children, 7-year-old Sophia and 1-year-old Natalie.

She's a member of St. Peters home and school board, and works as a liaison with the Historic Preservation Commission.