Jessica Carlsen serves as Director of the CU Book Store at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she provides strategic leadership for a complex, self-funded campus retail operation serving students, faculty, staff, alumni, families, and visitors. In this role, she oversees bookstore operations across multiple locations, including course materials, technology, licensed merchandise, ecommerce, distribution, and customer experience.

With a career rooted in retail leadership and higher education service, Jessica brings a strong blend of operational expertise, financial stewardship, team development, and campus partnership. She is known for building positive, collaborative teams and for leading with a people-centered approach that balances innovation, accountability, and service to the university community.

Since joining the CU Book Store in 2012, Jessica has held progressive leadership roles in merchandising, retail services, and store operations before being named Director. Her experience includes guiding the organization through significant change in the collegiate retail landscape, expanding student-centered programs, strengthening operational systems, and developing partnerships that support affordability, access, and engagement across campus.

As Director, Jessica works closely with campus leaders, academic departments, vendors, publishers, and industry partners to ensure the CU Book Store remains responsive to the evolving needs of the university community. She leads initiatives that support student success, including course material access models, technology rentals, campus retail partnerships, and customer service programs designed to make the bookstore a welcoming and valuable resource.

Prior to her work at CU Boulder, Jessica spent more than a decade with Williams-Sonoma, where she gained extensive experience in store leadership, new store openings, training, risk management, customer engagement, and retail operations. This foundation continues to inform her practical, entrepreneurial approach to leading a large institutional retail enterprise.

Jessica is passionate about developing people, strengthening teams, and creating a retail experience that reflects the pride, energy, and mission of CU Boulder. She is committed to fostering an inclusive, service-oriented environment where employees feel supported and where every customer interaction contributes to a stronger campus community.