Ashland – The Boyd and Greenup County Branch of the NAACP will present the Carol Jackson Diversity Award to Jennifer Willis, RN, PMH-BC, Pathways’ Chief Executive Officer, on Thursday, February 3, 2022, at Noon, at 1200 Bath Avenue, Ashland, Kentucky. Al Baker (President), Bernice Henry (Vice President), Rev. Stanley McDonald, and Brenda Martin will be on hand representing the Boyd and Greenup County NAACP. Pathways is being presented the award for its work actively promoting diversity in the workplace and service delivery. Jennifer Willis, Pathways’ Chief Executive Officer, will accept the award on behalf of Pathways. Marshall Tyson, Pathways Marketing Director, will speak about the Pathways To Go initiative, Cultural Intelligence training, and the newly formed Pathways Diversity Team.
Jennifer Willis, RN, PMH-BC, Pathways’ Chief Executive Officer, reports “Pathways is both humbled and excited to receive this award. We believe the work of the Pathways To Go mobile unit team, the addition of Cultural Intelligence training for the workforce and community, and the development of a Diversity Team will help promote diversity and inclusion throughout Pathways. We recognize that promoting inclusiveness and diversity not only helps foster a healthier, innovative workforce, but will benefit our consumers as well.”
The Carol Jackson Diversity Award was named in memory of Carol Jackson who served for more than 20 years as the chair of the Ashland Human Rights Commission. She developed a local commission from a committee that didn’t have a permanent home into a full commission with office space in downtown Ashland, which has become a hub for civil rights activity. She also created the Mayor’s Youth Council to encourage students to learn about local government. Carol Jackson was the first African American woman elected to the Ashland Independent Board of Education and the first to chair the Board. She was inducted into the Kentucky Commission of Human Rights Hall of Fame in 2012.
Pathways serves Bath, Boyd, Carter, Elliott, Greenup, Lawrence, Menifee, Montgomery, Morgan and Rowan counties with a comprehensive array of mental health, intellectual and developmental disability support services, and substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery support services. Pathways also offers a 24/7 Help Line, 1-606-324-1141 or 1-800-562-8909. Additional information about Pathways services and lo- cations is available at www.pathways-ky.org.