Person of the Week: Joseph Slack, Winner of JAN’s Emerging Leader Award

Despite living in Starkville for school, Joseph Slack has always remained deeply involved in the city he calls home. A Jackson native, Slack was born at University of Mississippi Medical Center and grew up in the Carolwood subdivision in Ward 1. He went to high school at Jackson Prep and attended downtown’s First Baptist Church, where his family remains active members. Today, Joseph is a political science graduate of Mississippi State University — and the most recent recipient of the Jackson Association of Neighborhoods Emerging Leader Award.

The Jackson Association of Neighborhoods Emerging Leader Award recognizes active young people making a positive impact on their communities. The award highlights Joseph’s commitment to Jackson’s growth and his willingness to step up even as he excelled in the classroom. After connecting with JAN President Ashley Kelly, Slack worked with [JAN Past President] Andy Frame to update the organization’s neighborhood database.

“I went through every single neighborhood listed on JAN’s website to ensure the information was current and correct,” Slack explained. “I primarily did my work through resources such as Facebook, Nextdoor, or a simple Google search… but for the rest of them, I either visited them virtually through Google Earth or even went to them physically.”

“Even when Joseph was away at college in another city, he stayed deeply invested in Jackson's future,” says Kelly. “He came to us with great ideas, a real eagerness to get involved and a genuine desire to keep the relationship going. Joseph is exactly the kind of young adult we want connected to this city, one who plays a direct role in making it better.”

“My mom always instilled in me and my brother the importance of service and making a positive impact in your community,” he said. Those values stayed with him as he grew up immersed in the culture of Jackson, especially the church. “Going to First Baptist Jackson all of my life, I was exposed to downtown Jackson from a very young age and I've developed a great appreciation for the area because of that.” 

Slack’s fascination and feelings for the city have only deepened, thanks in part to a key internship in college.

“I started reaching out to various organizations on social media and the Jackson Redevelopment Authority (JRA) responded through Facebook,” Slack recalled. “I gained a unique perspective on the work that they do and what it means to contribute to the mission that is Jackson.”

During his JRA internship, he focused on grant research and studied successful revitalization projects in other cities to see what could be adapted locally. He returned for a second summer after interning for U.S. Senator Roger Wicker in Washington, D.C. All in all, Joseph is proud to have contributed to several Jackson initiatives, including the long-planned revitalization of the Farish Street Historic District, the development of nearby Union Market downtown and efforts to bring grocery stores into Jackson’s food deserts.

Now enrolled at the University of Mississippi School of Law for the fall, Joseph is also busy helping to plan a wedding. His fiancée, Ms. Mary Addison Loving, is a senior accounting major at Mississippi State who will pursue her master’s at Ole Miss. The couple will marry at First Baptist this summer and plan to return to Jackson after earning their degrees, so they can both put them to work in the Jackson community.

“I'm very thankful to Ashley Kelly and Andy Frame and the Jackson Association of Neighborhoods for presenting me with the emerging leader award,” he said. More than likely, it will not be the last award this young man receives.