I'm Jessica Townsend, a senior full stack software developer with over five years of experience shipping applications, working primarily in PHP, React, and TypeScript, recently focused on integrating AI agents in development and content workflows.
this is me
Currently, I'm a senior full stack developer at the Thought and Expression Company. My recent work includes a Next.js platform for analytics and publishing, where I added Google OAuth support and built a workflow that cross-posts content to Threads and WordPress. In addition, I write PHP plugins and React blocks for WordPress publications serving millions of sessions per month, and maintain custom themes on Shopify. I independently scope and deploy features end-to-end across all company platforms, working closely with designers, editorial, and business teams.
On the AI side, I design and build workflows around Claude Code, including custom skills for things like pre-meeting work summaries and GitHub issue implementation. I've also built integrations that let agents work directly inside the CMS and commerce platforms we run on in production.
From 2020 to 2022, I worked at SFP, an agency based in Lafayette, IN, where I started as an intern and moved into a web developer role. I built and maintained sites in Laravel and WordPress across a range of industries, worked directly with clients and designers, and mentored interns and new hires on our development standards.
I graduated from Purdue University in May 2021 with a B.S. in Web Programming & Design and a B.S. in Virtual Product Integration.
I live in southwest Washington with my dog. In my free time I enjoy traveling, indoor rock climbing, and getting out to hike and camp in the national parks nearby.
Here are a few projects I've worked on over the years. If you have any questions or want to know more, email me at jessicaat123@gmail.com.
collective world
A high-traffic astrology content site running on a custom WordPress theme. I've built out a few of its signature features over the years, including a birth chart calculator that pulls personalized charts from the Astrology API.
Location lookups for the birth chart calculator happen as the user types their birth city, with results cached to keep things responsive. I also set up a custom endpoint that surfaces the latest daily horoscope, so our other sites (on WordPress, Shopify, and elsewhere) can link straight to it without hitting the REST API to fetch the post themselves.
A large publication site on a custom WordPress theme. I worked on the redesign of the post and term archive pages and handle ongoing maintenance across the theme.
I've also worked on an AI publishing feature using the WordPress Abilities API that lets AI agents connect to the site through an MCP server and create posts and pages directly in the Gutenberg block editor. The integration gives agents a structured way to compose block-based content without needing to manually access the editor.
A Shopify storefront I maintain on a custom theme. My biggest project was the product page redesign, alongside redesigns of the video banner and featured product sections. I also led a refactor of CSS, JS, and image handling across the theme that cut roughly a second off our LCP.
I've also built an internal Shopify app that uses the Admin API to let Claude Code read our catalog and make bulk product updates, and to give our custom dashboard read access to orders and store stats for analysis.
A custom WordPress plugin, built in PHP and React, that adds a library of Gutenberg blocks. Highlights include an advanced modal block that lets editors compose any block content inside a hamburger-style modal, and a REST API block that pulls data from configurable endpoints to surface post recommendations across our sites.
A live-updating taproom site for a restaurant and brewery in Lafayette, Indiana, on a custom WordPress theme. I integrated the Untappd API with a Vue front-end so the current beer selection updates as taps change throughout the day, letting customers check what's pouring before they head over.
A site for a popcorn hybrid supplier in Romney, Indiana that highlights the services they offer and showcases the popcorn seed varieties they produce. The site is built in Laravel and runs on EF3, the custom CMS developed and maintained by SFP.
