Jerre is an ecologist with nonprofit experience in endangered species research and landscape-scale conservation planning of natural resources. She has degrees from Stanford University and the University of South Florida, where she worked at Archbold Biological Station for several years. Much of her career was spent in developing priorities for land conservation, policy, and funding in California and Baja California. She currently advises land managers and researchers in developing habitat management and monitoring programs. She has been a New Mexico conservation enthusiast since her years living at the Fort Burgwin Research Center (SMU in Taos). She lives in Santa Fe with her conservation ecologist husband who also volunteers for the NMLC.