Leaving her mark on her hometown
Billings woman works behind the scenes to promote building safety
There’s a plaque on the ground floor of Billings City Hall that commemorates those who were instrumental in transforming the old federal building into a showcase for city services.
Not only is Jessica Fust’s name on that plaque but so, too, is a statement she wrote:
“This building is dedicated to the citizens of Billings and the public servants that make our city great.”
Jessica laughs as she explains that she intended the inscription to serve only as a place holder until someone came up with a loftier phrase.
“But they kept it,” she says, smiling.
Jessica was hardly thinking of herself when she inserted that line, but she certainly fits the bill. For the past 11 years she has worked her way up through several positions in city government. Today her official title is building official. If the designation sounds generic, make no mistake, her job is not.
Imagine picking out color schemes for the new city hall, working with architects on Intermountain Health’s new 14-story hospital and making sure the South Park Pool project is safe for swimmers of all ages.
If that didn’t keep her busy enough, she’s in charge of a department that has already issued 2,385 permits this year — for everything from single family homes to commercial buildings to solar projects.
“There’s something new every day,” she says. “Last week I was at the hockey rink helping get that open. I get all sorts of phone calls with weird questions, and I enjoy going to job sites and meeting people.”
Jessica is deeply involved in both code and community. “Codes” are the myriad of building codes that her department is tasked with enforcing. Most of those codes come in response to a tragedy that might have been averted, such as a disastrous fire.
“(We ask ourselves) what could have been done differently to prevent injury and death?” she says.
Those codes would carry less meaning for her if not for her commitment to community.
“I like the public servant side of it, to contribute to my hometown,” she says. “That really appealed to me. It’s something more meaningful.”
Jessica thrives on the variety of her work and she is energized by the many opportunities she has to solve problems. Yet, despite working in a field that demands detail, she has come to value the human side of her role.
“I think so much is about personal relationships,” she says. “I find myself relying on that more than technical knowledge. A lot in project management is getting the right people in the right place and being willing to listen to a lot of different perspectives.”
Jessica’s interest in building and engineering was sparked early on.
“I always loved math and was spatially inclined,” she says. “I was always building with Legos.”
While in high school, she opted for drafting classes and worked with her engineer father at the family business, Energy AD. After graduating from Billings West High, Jessica moved to the Twin Cities where she earned a degree in architecture from the University of Minnesota and stayed on to work for CMA Architects.
“I did a lot of construction management,” she says, “making sure contractors got the projects done on time and on budget.”
After the birth of her first daughter, she was drawn back to Montana. In 2015 she applied for, and was hired, in Billings’ building department. While working her way up, she added a master’s degree in public administration.
She had just been named facilities manager in January 2020, when Covid hit. She found herself not only making major facility decisions but procuring essentials like toilet paper and hand sanitizer.
“We had to set up plexiglass (barriers) and social distancing signs,” she adds.
About that same time, the city began considering buying the 1963 federal building to remodel into Billings City Hall. The previous owners had addressed the asbestos problem and installed fire sprinklers, making the conversion possible. The timing proved propitious in one way, as Covid funding suddenly became available.
“That meant we didn’t need to go to the voters for a bond,” Jessica says.
The massive remodel, which involved most of the 400,000-square-foot building, was designed with the intent of serving for the next half century. The project occupied much of Jessica’s time from 2020 until March 2025, when all of the offices had moved in.
The finished remodel is a source of pride for not only Jessica but the entire team that made it happen.
“That was several years of my life,” she says.
The result is a city hall that is spacious, attractive and awash in light provided from its 600-plus new energy-efficient windows. And yet, all is not new. Some of the original terrazzo tile floors have been restored and the entire Lyndon Pomeroy wall sculpture that welcomed visitors into the 1963 federal building remain. They serve as reminders of the building’s past and earned it a place on the National Register of Historic Places.
The project’s timing, however, was not only complicated by Covid but by a major challenge in Jessica’s life. Several years earlier, in her young 30s, she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. After surviving that battle, and just as the City Hall project was taking off, she was diagnosed with endometrial cancer.
“There definitely were some rough times,” she says, adding that the city and her staff were understanding and supportive throughout. She was told not to worry about the demands of her job, and yet she persisted.
“The project helped me keep my mind off treatments,” she says. “I’d rather be distracted, thinking about other things.”
The double-whammy gave Jessica a new set of priorities.
“It taught me what things we should and shouldn’t be worried about in our lives,” she says. “It impacted me as a person and how I approach my work.”
The experiences also introduced her to a new role as the state leader for the Young Cancer Survivors Coalition. Through that organization, she connects with survivors who seek ongoing support.
Jessica has taken on a breadth of roles. Last fall, she was elected by her peers to serve as a new board director for the prestigious International Code Council, for which she represents an eight-state and three Canadian province area stretching from Idaho to Wisconsin.
“I like being busy,” she says, smiling.
That busyness will escalate as the 2027 legislative session approaches. As staff liaison for the city council’s legislative committee, she tracks what’s happening in Helena.
“If there’s legislation that will champion public safety, that’s definitely a priority with the council,” she says.
Although she thrives on being busy, Jessica makes time to kick back with her new husband and their two teenage daughters. She’s especially excited for an August trip to Italy — in part a belated honeymoon. But the choice of destination underscores what makes Jessica tick.
“It’s been my life-long dream,” she says. “I’ve always wanted to go see all of the architecture there.”
