Across the city of Jackson, there are pockets of vacant lots and neglected properties. Many are often discussed in terms of what they take away from neighborhoods, including property values, safety, beauty and investment. Dr. Cindy Ayers Elliott, founder of Foot Print Farms, sees something else when she looks at available land.

Robert Sulton currently serves as Treasurer for the Jackson Association of Neighborhoods Board of Directors. If there’s one thing that sums up Sulton’s journey from his birthplace in Rolling Fork, Mississippi to his longtime home in the Jackson area, it is his wholehearted embrace of Stewardship.

When people think about Jackson’s history, they often think in terms of Black and white. While those stories remain essential to understanding Mississippi, Lorena Quiroz, executive director of the Immigrant Alliance for Justice and Equity (IAJE), understands that they are not the only stories shaping the city of Jackson today.

Founded in 2019, Refill Jackson runs a nine-week workforce development program that combines classroom instruction in soft skills like professional communication, teamwork and interviewing with hands-on job training and related social services.

If there is one idea that sums up Felecia Tripp’s involvement with Jackson Association of Neighborhoods, it is optimism. Jackson is a glass half full, and Tripp aims to fill it to overflowing, serving on JAN’s Board of Directors as a representative of Ward 3 and chair of its Sustainability Committee.

As founder of Operation Good, Geno Womack has spent more than a decade building a simple but often overlooked philosophy: neighborhoods are transformed from the inside out. Not from the top down.

A woman of faith, a devoted mother of two boys, a financial professional and a former flutist, Barnes has learned that life often requires balancing many different roles. Rather than trying to do everything, she has become intentional about doing the right things well. That mindset shapes not only her career and family life, but also her approach to serving Jackson’s neighborhoods.

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.

Drawn to Jackson by a band scholarship, Immanuel Wiggins arrived as a young musician ready to perform. What he did not expect was how deeply the city would shape him, or how much he would grow to love it.

As the newly appointed executive director of the Jackson Redevelopment Authority (JRA), Alex Lawson sees the city not as a collection of problems to fix, but as a place full of untapped potential waiting for the right systems, partnerships and investments to unlock it.