Mary Neville Bielefeld Award
Jessica A. Koth, Comm ’99
Milwaukee, Wis.
If someone had told Jessica Koth on the day she graduated from Marquette that she would one day work in the funeral service profession, it “would have been the last thing I could have imagined,” she admits. But, today, she loves her role as director of public relations for the National Funeral Directors Association.
“It’s not just the work and subject matter that has kept me at NFDA for the last 18 years,” she says. “It’s the remarkable men and women in funeral service who care for grieving families every day. Their compassion and dedication inspire me.”
She’s grateful for the influence of Bruce Gill, the late adjunct professor in the Diederich College of Communication and editor at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “He was a tough teacher who held us to high standards,” she says. “I can see his fingerprints on the high standards I hold myself to in my work.”
For Jessica, being a “person for others” includes giving back to her field and her alma mater. In 2024, she was appointed to the executive committee of the Public Relations Society of America’s association/nonprofit section, and she currently co-chairs the section’s communications committee. Jessica is a longtime supporter of Marquette and the Association of Marquette University Women, serving as a past AMUW Director and several years as president of the alumnae group. She also served on the Marquette University Alumni Association National Board of Directors.
“As I think about the long list of women upon whom the Mary Neville Bielefeld Award has been conferred — women I have long admired and who have been an inspiration to me — I find myself deeply humbled,” she says. “Their achievements and dedication to living the Marquette ideals have paved the way for so many, myself included. I am grateful to join such an extraordinary group of women.”
Fun Facts:
Name someone (past or present) with whom you'd like to have dinner.
Julia Child. I love to cook and bake, and Julia was a pioneer in her field. Her toughness and tenacity are inspiring, and I would love to pick up a few cooking tips! I would also love to have dinner one more time with my late grandparents: Frank and Anita Niescior and Jane and Gerald Koth. I would love to be able to tell them how much I love them and that their love and support helped make me the woman I am today.
What is one of your favorite Marquette memories?
While I was a student, I participated in the Marquette University Chorus and some of my fondest memories come from my time with this group. From rehearsals to performing concerts to our spring break outreach tours to Washington, D.C., Chicago, the Twin Cities and the Pacific Northwest connecting with alums and students and Jesuit high schools, I formed life-long relationships and have so many special memories.