Jay Childs

Co-Chair, Storytelling & Communications Workgroup

Owner, JBC Communications

Jay B. Childs (he/him) is the owner of Portsmouth-based JBC Communications, is an Emmy and Telly-awarded documentary filmmaker. His work, including “Communities & Consequences II” and “FOOD FIGHT,” has been featured on public television and streaming platforms.

Jay was the recipient of the 2022 Housing Action NH “Housing Matters Media Award” for his affordable housing advocacy. He serves on the Board of Leadership Seacoast and is member of the Home for All Coalition Leadership team and Co-Chair of the organization’s Storytelling and Communications workgroup. Jay holds a B.A. in Communications Production from Ithaca College and resides in Exeter, NH, with his family.

Where did you grow up and how did that experience shape you or influence the path you followed in life?


I grew up in Exeter, NH, left for college in New York, and eventually found my way back to Exeter after getting married.

Growing up, Exeter felt like a true close-knit community. Our neighborhood was full of kids who played together, constantly in and out of each other’s houses. You knew the shopkeepers downtown, the town officials, and the teachers—my mom taught at the Exeter elementary school.

That sense of connection also sparked my fascination with the town’s history and its many stories. When I was six, I got a tape recorder and microphone for Christmas and spent the next few years collecting stories, eagerly interviewing anyone in town who would talk with me.

Why do you think affordable housing is important now?


Housing that is affordable to all age ranges, backgrounds and incomes has always been important - and it is one of the foundational needs for people of course, but also for a community to function and thrive as a whole. 

Previous
Previous

Wildolfo Arvelo

Next
Next

Ali Sekou