Board President: Leo Jackson, Jr. is the son of Deacon Leo Jackson, Sr., and the late Mrs. A. Lois Hightower-Jackson. He was reared in a home anchored in strongly-held Christian values as well as a commitment to quality education. Leo’s desire to preserve the legacy of his mother’s strong commitment to both has manifested in the formation of “A. Lois Hightower-Jackson, Inc.” The primary objective of this 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation is the annual search for qualified applicants and the subsequent awarding of scholarships to deserving high school seniors. As President of the Board of Directors, Mr. Jackson is responsible for day-to-day operations, including oversight of community outreach and fundraising, distribution and collection of applications for scholarships, and plans for the annual scholarship awards dinner.
Board Vice President: Khouri E. Jackson, is the granddaughter of A. Lois Hightower-Jackson; she joins in her father’s dedication to the preservation of her grandmother’s legacy as a devout Christian woman and an educator. As Vice President, Ms. Jackson will assist the President and, when necessary, she will be available to perform any and all administrative duties required.
Board Secretary: Attorney Annette M. Jackson-Taylor is a retired trial lawyer. Her service on Boards of nonprofits began over forty years ago when she was appointed to the Board of the American Red Cross. She continues today, serving as Secretary of the Board of Surviving the Odds, a breast cancer foundation serving minority women in the Kansas City area. Her role consists of maintaining the corporate records and other accompanying duties and engaging with nonprofits for the purpose of seeking out partners for the purpose of increasing both the numbers of our available scholarships and the dollar amounts of the annual awards.
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Board Treasurer: James Coleman is a Certified Public Accountant who holds an MBA in Finance. With more than forty-five years of experience, James is highly respected throughout Kansas City’s business community. He has a reputation for being both available and highly visible as a volunteer for various church and civic organizations. James will be responsible for financial record-keeping and for compiling all necessary financial reports and statements.
Board Member: Cynthia M. Smith, prominent for over four decades within the Kansas City corporate community, is a widely-respected Human Resources Professional. She currently owns and operates a private Human Resources consulting firm. Her expertise with nonprofits is rooted in many years of service as Board Chairperson for the KCMC Child Development Corporation. A tireless volunteer within both the civic and church community, Ms. Smith has served for sixty years as a musician; she also serves as a church Trustee and delegate to national and district church conferences. Ms. Smith’s role is to engage with other nonprofits for the purpose of obtaining partners, thereby ensuring our ability to increase both the dollar amounts of our scholarships and the number of annual scholarship recipients.