I am a product of the genuinely kind people who live here. Jackson has given me the opportunity to practice medicine that I never imagined possible. Hopefully I am making a positive impact on a community that I love.
Read MoreOther Jacksonians in my generation and I are a bridge: remembering what we loved about growing up in this town and helping transform it into a place our kids and grandkids will be proud of. I am part of the Jackson that was, the Jackson that is now, and the Jackson we will create together.
Read MoreI AM JACKSON because⦠I believe in Jackson and the surrounding area, and I am excited to see continued growth in our community. I am blessed to be in a professional role that allows me to not only enjoy living in this community, but also to serve in ways to help improve it. To see Jackson and the surrounding areas thrive throughout the years, and to help make sure this growth and development continues is a beautiful thing!
Read MoreI AM JACKSON because this is where Iβve made my home, my business, and where Iβve invested my time in doing the work to promote positive change. I AM JACKSON because anytime I travel I make it a point to talk about Jackson and how much I love it here. I sometimes feel like an ambassador of Jackson! Maybe I am?
Read MoreI AM JACKSON because the majority of my adult life has been in this city. I have enjoyed working with and celebrating the students at Lane College. I enjoy the people, culture, and atmosphere which has been the place for me to marry, raise a family, and see the fruits of my labor while residing in Jackson. I AM JACKSON because I am committed to the community. Jackson has allowed me to serve on several boards, assist with pageants, and be gainfully employed. I believe in Jackson because Jackson first believed in me.
Read MoreI am passionate about philanthropy, scholarship, and giving back to the community that has supported me. Jackson is loving, kind, generous, and caring. The people of Jackson give their time, their God-given talents, resources, money, and love. They pray for others, not only for personal friends, but for complete strangers. Jacksonians are always lending a helping hand. They encourage our youth by saying yes when they are asked to support their schools, their sports teams, their educational trips, and their fundraisers. I know of no other town Jacksonβs size that has as many fundraisers going on simultaneously as my town does.
Read MoreWe have enjoyed sharing our family recipes with you over the past few months, but December brings another layer. This time of year is full of events to attend and host, and the latter can be a bit overwhelming if you don't take it in stride. Let us help you! Greg and Allycin are excellent hosts, and do so often. I would trust any tips they have to give, and they recently hosted a Christmas dinner for some of their closest friends and let us take you along virtually. Get your markers ready to circle and note all of the things you'll want to try out at your own holiday soireΜe! We can't wait to hear how your dishes turn out and we'd love to know if you discover tips of your own! Share them with us on instagram @vipjacksonmagazine.
Read MoreMy greatest honors, besides my family, has been being named βWoman of the Yearβ for Jackson, Woman of Achievement, and being named Woman of Influence by our mayor and by the State Legislature. (I hope that means βGOODβ influence). I love my city of Jackson, and I am so proud to be a citizen.
Read MoreThis is where I met my wife, and it is where we raised our family, worship, made a lot of true friends, have become part of this community and strive to meet the needs and make a difference in the lives of those we come in contact with every day. Jackson is a community that has embraced and supported my family and me.
Read MoreI was born here, raised here, and am provided for here. I have been immersed in the fabric of this community and am in a unique position to have my finger on the pulse of our cityβs heartbeat simply by listening, participating, and serving. I have a vested interest in seeing Jackson thrive, not only for my fellow Jacksonians, but for my employees, my friends, and my children.
Read MoreThis place, these people have embraced me at my best and my worst. I am Jackson because I believe in all this town has to offer and desire to help others to find their place in our city.
Read MoreJoe Barker currently serves as Executive Director of Southwest Tennessee Development District (SWTDD), an eight-county regional planning and economic development organization located in Jackson. He has a diverse background in public service in both state and local government. Barker has served as both Mayor of the City of Savannah and of Hardin County.
Read MoreKyle Spurgeon is president/CEO of the Jackson Chamber, Jackson, TN. The organization represents over 1000 business members in Jackson-Madison County and parts of West Tennessee.Before joining the Chamber, Spurgeon was vice-president, corporate relations for Jackson Energy Authority. He has also served as marketing director for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. He has helped facilitate project locations representing more than $2.5 billion in capital investment.
Read MorePhotography by Kristina Only, Chelsea-Catherine Croom & Jeff Watson at Union University.
Read MoreJennifer Graves is a native of Goodlettsville, Tennessee. She married her husband, Jimmy, in 1989, and they have two adult childrenβJoshua and Elizabeth. Jennifer spent the first portion of her career at Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis where she was asked to develop a program for middle school students with learning disabilities, and soon thereafter high school students. Jennifer served in various roles such as director of the program, middle school counselor, and high school counselor. In 2015, Jennifer answered the call to move to Jackson, TN to start Union Universityβs EDGE program, an inclusive post-secondary program for young adults with intellectual disabilities. She served at Union until moving to the STAR Center Inc. in June 2022.
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David Blackwood grew up on a farm in Madison County, Tennessee where he spent many hours playing in the creeks and forests of the Hatchie River bottoms. Little did he know that his playful experiences would return to him later in life in his career.
Leanne Braddock, Commander, US Navy (Retired) has served as the President of Preservation of East Main and Surrounds (POEMS) for the past five years. She and her husband, Ed Cookenham, have lived in Jackson for the past five years.
Read MoreTim Hayes is a native of Humboldt who lives in Jackson. He began his bakery business in his Humboldt home. Initially he decided to focus on cakes. His maternal grandmother loves to bake. She was Timβs mentor in baking. He went to her house and watched her bake amazing pies and cakes. βBaking cakes is a gift that God gave me!,β said Tim.
Read MoreLt. Mark Cancia, Corps Officer, The Salvation Army of Jackson, TN, is a child of God and a man of faith. While he was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the Cancia family quickly moved to the tropics of South Florida, where they made most of their memories and connected with The Salvation Army for the first time.
Read MoreIt is where I am from, it has provided a great life, and itβs my familyβs history and its future!
I strive and work every day to make Jackson and rural West Tennessee a better place to live.
I remember PoFolks Restaurant and want to start a petition to bring it back! And if thatβs not Jackson enough, then itβs because Iβm proud to build homes in a community that values hard work, relationships, and doing things the right way.
Jackson is engrained in me. One can seek out a place to live where they are comfortable, but it is special when you live in a place that fulfills you. Yes, family heritage, family friends, business success, and oneβs faith can be fulfilling, but the Jackson community is special. Jackson provides all the elements for me that make life good.
I want Jackson to be visionary and strategic. I have always, and will be, FOR Jackson in all ways possible to make Jackson better. It is going to take a team effort to accomplish all of the opportunities before us, and no doubt it will take vision and change. Our community is ready to take Jackson to the next level, and I look forward to seeing it happen!
I believe in building better β homes, businesses, and relationships β right here in the community that built me.
Because I donβt just live here, I have a passion for seeing Jackson become the very best it can be.
Since I moved to Jackson 47 years ago this town has offered our family life-long friendships, career opportunities, and the desire to continue to grow with our community as a wonderful place to call HOME.
I believe in where weβre headed. Whether itβs helping our airport grow, supporting small businesses, or just being a good neighbor, Iβm proud to be part of Jacksonβs story. This city is taking off, and Iβm glad to be on board. (Couldnβt resist the airport puns.)
I absolutely love this community. My family, my friends, my education, and my career are all rooted in this great community, and I only foresee it just getting better and better with time. We have so much to be grateful for to be able to call this place our home!
This is where I can make the greatest difference, where collaboration thrives, and where a brighter future for our children is not just a hope, but a shared reality we are actively building together. #winning
...this city has shaped me, inspired me, and given me the opportunity to serve and grow alongside an amazing community.
I am Jackson because I have aimed to improve both myself and the West Tennessee community.
Jackson is my home and always has been. I was born here. My parents and all of my grandparents are buried here. I spent my formative years here, my professional career here, and now my retirement years here. Jackson has changed so much and it has changed for the better. Many people choose to relocate to Jackson because of everything it has to offer. I consider myself fortunate to have been born here, and I firmly believe that Jacksonβs best days are still ahead.
After living for the last 21 years and being in business for the last 20 years Iβm proud to run Jacksonβs version of βCheers,β where everyone knows your name and genuinely cares. I firmly believe in the trajectory of our town, and the opportunity that Jackson offers is rare -- to be on the cusp of extraordinary growth and opportunity. Iβm proud to be a Jacksonian and rabid Rams fan.
Jackson is a representation of who I want to be. It is a city that opens its doors to people from other places and embraces them as one of their own. I hope that is how I have lived my life. No matter where I am, the people and the experience make or break the deal. I am a product of my family, and I hope to maintain the small-town feel that I experienced all those years ago when I stepped onto the campus of Lambuth University.
I am a product of the genuinely kind people who live here. Jackson has given me the opportunity to practice medicine that I never imagined possible. Hopefully I am making a positive impact on a community that I love.
In this one unique location, mountains meet musicβ¦art meets adventure...culture meets cuisineβ¦and no one meets a stranger. The walkability of downtown allows people to explore and discover vibrant murals, local music, historic sites, art museums, parks, greenways and more. With its sophisticated mix of culture and cuisine, experience a destination served up with genuine hospitality.
On Sunday night, May 19 The Jackson Symphony continued the popular Symphony on the Move concerts in the lovely Vann Gardens neighborhood. Many gathered on the lawn to listen to the beautiful music by members of the Jackson Symphony.
Other Jacksonians in my generation and I are a bridge: remembering what we loved about growing up in this town and helping transform it into a place our kids and grandkids will be proud of. I am part of the Jackson that was, the Jackson that is now, and the Jackson we will create together.
On June 6 hundreds of participants gathered at the Farmersβ Market in downtown Jackson for the Heavenβs Cradle Twilight Run and Downtown Rendezvous. The Twilight Run is a special occasion to honor and remember the children of bereaved families and is Heavenβs Cradleβs largest fundraiser.
I AM JACKSON because⦠I believe in Jackson and the surrounding area, and I am excited to see continued growth in our community. I am blessed to be in a professional role that allows me to not only enjoy living in this community, but also to serve in ways to help improve it. To see Jackson and the surrounding areas thrive throughout the years, and to help make sure this growth and development continues is a beautiful thing!
The First Ladies Luncheon was held Thursday, April 18, at the Jackson Fairgrounds. The event, presented by United Way of West Tennessee, has become a favorite tradition in Jackson and West Tennessee. Table sponsors had the opportunity to create unique tablescapes.
VIP Jackson Magazine
Socializing Throughout West Tennessee!
I AM JACKSON becauseβ¦
No matter where life or my career has taken me, this has always been home. My familyβs roots here run deep, and Iβm grateful for the opportunity to live, work, and give back to the community that has meant so much to us.