EdD, 2023 Juawn Jackson serves as the Director of the Educational Opportunity Center at Mercer University, where he directly oversees a federal TRIO project serving 10+ counties in the Middle Georgia area. He is responsible for the supervision, training, and evaluation of staff; program development, fiscal and grant management, submittal of federal and state annual program reports and proposals for grants. He previously served as a Project Advisor and Project Coordinator for Alpha Phi Alpha Educational Talent Search, a federal TRIO program of the United States Department of Education. In that role, he worked with middle and high school scholars in the Macon-Bibb County community to prepare them for postsecondary success, assisted them with career exploration, and advised them through the financial aid process. In June 2020, Juawn was elected as the youngest member to the Bibb County Board of Education, representing portions of the Westside, Rutland, Howard, and Southwest Zones. In 2023, he served as the President of the Board of Education for the Bibb County School District. Juawn graduated from Mercer University with his master’s degree in Higher Education Leadership in May of 2018. He received his undergraduate degree from Georgia College & State University in Political Science and earned a certification in Leadership. He earned in executive doctorate in higher education from the Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education at the University of Georgia in December 2023. At Georgia College, Mr. Jackson was elected as the 76th president of the Student Government Association where he served for two terms. During his tenure, Jackson received the Willie J. Potts Leadership Award from the University System of Georgia, the Transformational Leadership Award, and the Outstanding Political Science Major Award, among other recognitions. He also interned in the U.S. House of Representatives for Congressman Sanford Bishop of Georgia. In the community, Juawn serves on various boards and committees, including chairman of the Board of Trustees as Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church. He is also the past president of the local chapter for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. A passionate, progressive, and visionary servant leader, Juawn believes strongly in advocating for the downtrodden and disenfranchised.
