MEET OUR TEAM
Meet our dynamic team of expert consultants, each bringing a unique blend of passion and perspective to help make great communities and strong economies.
Jon Stover
Managing Partner
Founder and Managing Partner of JS&A, Jon has devoted his career to providing a fresh, economic-minded approach to neighborhood revitalization and public-private partnership. JS&A grew out of the 2008 recession as Jon subcontracted for a variety of leading real estate consulting and economic analysis firms. Since then, he has secured, planned, and directed projects for hundreds of public agencies, community groups, non-profit organizations, real estate developers, and private businesses. Jon’s passion for cities (and road trips) has brought him to nearly every large and mid-sized city in the United States. The pandemic has delayed checking the last few places off the list (here’s looking at you, Amarillo, TX).
Masters of Urban Planning // University of Pennsylvania
Certificate in Real Estate Development // Wharton School of Business
Bachelor of Science in City and Regional Planning // Cornell University
Leslie Gray, AICP
Vice President
Leslie Gray, Vice President and Project Manager at JS&A, loves helping people create great places to live, work, and play. She has spent the majority of her career in the urban planning industry, gaining experience in areas such as physical planning, master planning, and market and impact analyses. As a Midwesterner at heart, Leslie enjoys working in cities of all sizes for all types of places – from small, rural towns to the commercial business districts of big cities. When she isn’t busy strategizing local economic development initiatives or serving as our graphic design guru, you can usually find her Zillow-ing for undervalued architectural gems and running around with her husband and dog, iced coffee in hand.
Masters of Science in Urban Planning // Columbia University
Bachelor of Science in Architecture // University of Cincinnati
Aaron King
Director
Aaron King combines his background in public policy and urban planning to help create more economically resilient communities. He joined JS&A in 2015 and has worked with a wide range of public, private, and non-profit clients on projects relating to economic development strategy, market analysis, economic and fiscal impact analysis, and development feasibility. Before joining JS&A, Aaron directed Delaware’s first ever Better Block project, where he collaborated with residents and small business owners to catalyze a permanent redesign of a key commercial corridor in Wilmington. When he’s not in the office, you can usually find Aaron cheering on his hometown Washington Nationals, trying to find the District’s best Thai food, and exploring the world (mostly via Google Street View).
Bachelor’s in Public Policy // University of Delaware
Lily Ho
Director of Analysis
Lily Ho brings over ten years of experience conducting data analysis, narrative storytelling, and project management. With
a strong background in economic consulting, Lily has extensive experience in economic and fiscal impact studies, market analysis, and advanced spatial analysis for high profile clients. Prior to her role at JS&A, Lily served as an Associate Director at Econsult Solutions (ESI), a Philadelphia based economic consulting firm. At ESI, Lily was the primary director that oversaw the firm’s Universities and Hospitals Practice Area. In her spare time, you can often find Lily exploring various coffee shops and tending to her garden.
Bachelors in Geography and Policy Studies // Syracuse University
Jonathan Desmarais
Consultant
With a proven track record as a former Main Street Manager, Jonathan leverages his skills and experiences to help local economies thrive and to help create and support quality places; places that are livable, walkable, desirable, and equitable. In addition to his work with JS&A, Jonathan also works with Spur & Sprout, LLC (York, PA), focusing on strategic planning and nonprofit marketing and brand implementation, and the Great Allegheny Passage Conservancy doing social media marketing and audience engagement. Along with his wife and son, he is a new resident of Pittsburgh, PA, where he seeks to explore as much of the city as possible, courtesy of his own two feet.
Masters of English Literature // University of Notre Dame Maryland
Bachelor of Arts in Music // Messiah University
