How to recover from identity theft
By COLLEEN TRESSLER
We get it. You hoped the day would never come when you learned someone used your personal information to open new credit accounts in your name. But it did. So now what? Act fast. It can help reduce the damage identity theft can cause. Here’s how to get started.
Step 1: Call the companies where you know fraud occurred. Call the fraud department. Explain that someone stole your identity.
Ask them to close or freeze the accounts. Then, no one can add new charges unless you agree. Change logins, passwords, and PINs for your accounts.
Step 2: Place a fraud alert and get your credit reports — even if you already have a credit freeze in place.
(If you haven’t frozen your credit, do that, too.) When you have a fraud alert on your credit report, a business has to verify your identity before it opens a new credit account in your name. A fraud alert lasts one year, but you can renew it.
Place a free, one-year fraud alert by contacting one of the three credit bureaus. That company must tell the other two.
Experian.com/help 888-EXPERIAN (888-397-3742)
TransUnion.com/credit-help: 888-909-8872
Equifax.com/personal/credit-
report-services: 800-685-1111
To get your report, call Annual Credit Report at 877-322-8228, or go to AnnualCreditReport.com. Federal law gives you the right to get a free copy of your credit report every 12 months from each of the three nationwide credit bureaus. The three bureaus also let you check your credit report once a week for free at AnnualCreditReport.com. Review your reports. Looks for accounts or transactions you don’t recognize. Step 3: Report identity theft to the FTC.
You’ll get a free personal recovery plan with next steps.
Colleen Tressler is with Division of Consumer and Business Education
GREETINGS
TOP TALK
Hello Everyone,
The Magazine for Living Life Beyond, Plus One…
Publisher / Editor
Joycelyne Fadojutimi, PhD
Chief Public Relations/Mkt. Officer
Welcome to the month of October. We could not help ourselves when we ran into Dr. Shelly McKellar and Dr. Adanza Aguwa at a gala. They were on the red carpet when we snapped the picture. Congratulations Docs. In this edition, we brought you the story of the new minted SpringHill State Bank President Wallace Rhymes III. He already has thirtyplus years of banking experience and has been with Spring Hill since 1997. He prepared for his profession with studies at the University of Texas at Tyler and Southern Methodist University's Southwestern Graduate School of Banking. Since 2021, he has served as Spring Hill's executive vice-president and advisory director. Mendicello is very upbeat about Rhymes' new position. The story starts from page 10.
Another story is Industrial Technology, which is a respected degree that demonstrates knowledge of manufacturing, engineering, management, and more. Industrial Technology degree can be earned at Longview University Center or at UT Tyler. Graduates are snatched upon graduation with an exceptionally good salary. The story starts from page 6.
Dr. Shirley McKellar and Dr. Adanza Aguwa on the red carpet attending a Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award gala.
PATH Week Celebration Dinner held at Green Acres Baptist Church Crosswalk Conference Center was a dazzling success. This story starts from page 14.
Playing with fire is a must read on the inspiration page. The story is on page 10
There are more stories in this edition. Be sure to check all of them out. Thanks for reading and thanks for your support.
We look forward to serving you again in November by God’s grace.
oycelyne Fadojutimi, Ph.D.
Publisher
Paula Jimenez
Staff Writer
Peace Floris
Contributing Writers
Glenn Miller
Mechele Agbayani Mills
Dr. Michael Guido
Scotts Roberts
Graphic Designer
Kuneho Designs
OUR MISSION
To enrich the local-global community with the “just in time knowledge,” to assure future successes
OUR VISION
To become an information oracle of functional and constructive reports that serves the needs of businesses and communities.
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How to Recover From Identity Theft
Industrial Technology: A Degree of the Future
LISD Superintendent, KC President Ink CTE MOU
Wallace Rhymes III: Newly Minted President
PATH EVENT A HIT: Doles Out Award
GALE JOHNSON: Longview ISD Educator Nabs Award Playing with Fire
Money Matters Grubs Up
Green Asparagus Wrapped In Roast Beef
Spring Hill State Bank Chief Executive Officer/Board Chairman Les Mendicello recently revealed that the Spring Hill State Bank board of directors has promoted longtime bank employee Wallace Rhymes III to the position of bank president and director. His credentials are impressive. Rhymes' service to Longview has never been limited to banking. His love of the city has moved him to work as president of SeeSaw Children’s Place, as president of Heartsway Hospice, vice-president of Northeast Texas Habitat for Humanity, and as treasurer for the Longview Museum of Fine Arts.
Gale Johnson and Principal Julie Hope Wallace Rhymes and Les Mendicello
Industrial Technology: A Degree of the Future
By JOYCELYNE FADOJUTIMI | www.infinitieplusmag.com
Industrial Technology is a respected degree that demonstrates knowledge of manufacturing, engineering, management, and more. Industrial Technology degree can be earned at Longview University Center or at UT Tyler.
Career Opportunities and earnings
Industrial technology graduates are in high demand. The Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS) projects that employment for industrial technology occupations will grow over the next decade.
Graduates will find rewarding careers in the industry where a talent for improving production processes is often rewarded with a six-figure salary. Industrial production managers is one of the highest-paid positions for graduates with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology.
According to the U.S. Labor of Statistics, the median annual wage for industrial production managers was $116,970 in May 2023.
Other career opportunities in industrial technology include construction, engineering, manufacturing, healthcare, and even government with very flexible career pathways.
UT Tyler website brings Industrial Technology degree into sharper focus with great information about their
ISSUE!
own program right here in Longview or Tyler, Texas.
Texas Bank and Trust will donate $4.00 to your school for every new card issued!
Understand how the BS in industrial technology prepares you for this path:
Nationally Accredited: Our program is accredited by the Association of Technology, Management and Applied Engineering (ATMAE). We are the only ATMAE-accredited program in Texas offering OSHA safety, nanomaterials safety and robotics certifications.
Convenient Locations: Earn a Bachelor of Science in industrial technology at the Longview University Center or UT Tyler campus.
Immediate
Employment: Nearly 100% of UT Tyler graduates find jobs in the industrial technology field immediately following graduation.
Expert Faculty: Learn from professors who are respected authorities and frequent speakers in the industrial technology field.
Business Skills: An embedded minor in business administration enriches your degree with training in basic management, accounting, finance, and marketing.
Surveying and Mapping
Emphasis: Coursework in the surveying and mapping emphasis applies toward qualifying for the Surveyor In Training certification. Prepare
to take the Texas Registered Professional Land Surveyor (RPLS) exam without a twoyear apprenticeship.
Internships: Complete an internship at companies in the region to better understand workplace operations. For about 90% of student interns, these assignments lead to fulltime job offers.
Networking: Network with other industrial technology students and professionals by joining and participating in the Society of Manufacturing Engineers.
Interested in enrolling, please contact Samantha Lara, Admissions Officer, at slara@ uttyler.edu or 903.663.8103.
LISD Superintendent, KC president ink CTE MOU
“The biggest piece for kids is really knowing where their strengths lie and really understanding how to make the strengths and the things that they're interested in work for them.”
- Dr. Marla Sheppard, Longview ISD Superintendent
Career Technology Education, (CTE)
“is an educational strategy that provides young people with the academic, technical, and employability skills and knowledge to pursue postsecondary training or higher education and enter a career field prepared for ongoing learning.” says Partnership for 21st Cen-
tury Skills, Association for Career and Technical Education, & National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium.
Gone are the days of low-level courses, job training, and single electives. CTE is an academically rigorous, integrated, and sequenced program of study that aligns with and leads to postsecondary education.
For example, high-quality CTE program like the one at Longview High School, (LHS) tackles the goals of college and career readiness. The program provides students with learning options that appeals to diverse student populations including those who may be at risk of dropping out without a high school diploma – it makes school fun and helps them to discover their strengths and channel it appropriately.
Dr. Marla Sheppard, Longview ISD Superintendent, said it best when Longview ISD and Dr. Brenda Kays, president of Kilgore College inked their Memoranda of Understanding, “The biggest piece for kids is really know-
ing where their strengths lie and really understanding how to make the strengths and the things that they're interested in work for them.”
President Kays touted the Kilgore College dual credit and CTE programs. “We have several career and technical education pathways including accounting, business, education, and training,” she stated.
“HVAC at our KC Longview facilities as well as information technology and plumbing and those are all really exciting because they do cover such a wide range of programs.”
In addition, Kays is excited about what's on the horizonthe spring semester. “Looking ahead I have heard that our
new programs for spring 2025 will include audiovisual, engineering, graphic design and kinesiology and each of those areas have been identified as a growing field,” she said.
According to John Gross, Longview High School, CTE Director, “Unlike most schools, Longview HS have sought to expand their CTE offerings to include High Needs occupations that are needed in Longview and the east Texas region. This includes partnering with Kilgore College to introduce new HVAC program.”
Gross is excited because “Any kid is a good candidate for the CTE program.
Story & photo by JOYCELYNE FADOJUTIMI
KC President Dr. Brenda Kays and LISD Superintendent Dr. Marla Sheppard ink MOU
Wallace Rhymes III: Newly Minted President
"Rhymes is the ideal person to continue our community bank tradition and uphold our reputation as a highquality, friendly place to conduct banking business.”
-
Spring Hill State Bank Chief Executive Officer/Board Chairman Les Mendicello
Spring Hill State Bank Chief Executive Officer/ Board Chairman Les Mendicello recently revealed that the Spring Hill State Bank board of directors has promoted longtime bank employee Wallace Rhymes III to the position of bank president and director. His credentials are impressive. When Rhymes was only 12 years old, he wanted to be a stockbroker. He liked the idea of managing people’s money. Another attraction besides managing money was the suit. He liked the stockbroker’s suit. Hence, in college Rhymes
pursued his dream and studied business and finance. He had a short stint with a First Federal Savings and Loan, prior to Spring Hill State Bank and he has loved it ever since.
“We started small but have grown organically reaching into the neighboring counties,” Rhymes said. “Banks do mergers and acquisitions but that is not who we are. We look for more opportunities to serve and stay true to being a community bank.”
He already has thirty-plus years of banking experience and has been with Spring Hill since 1997. He prepared for his profession with studies at the University of Texas at Tyler and Southern Methodist Uni-
treasurer for the Longview Museum of Fine Arts.
"Wallace has been instrumental to our success, and, with his expanded leadership role we can look forward to a bright future," said Mendicello.
versity's Southwestern Graduate School of Banking. Since 2021, he has served as Spring Hill's executive vice-president and advisory director. Mendicello is very upbeat about Rhymes' new position.
"Rhymes is the ideal person to continue our community bank tradition and uphold our reputation as a high-quality, friendly place to conduct banking business," he said.
Rhymes' service to Longview has never been limited to banking. His love of the city has moved him to work as president of SeeSaw Children’s Place, as president of Heartsway Hospice, vicepresident of Northeast Texas Habitat for Humanity, and as
Spring Hill State Bank has been serving East Texas since 1977, starting out with a capitalization of $900,000, which has grown to a current asset total of more than $240,000,000 with a capital sum of $34,668,000. Spring Hill's present capital-to-assets ratio of more than 14% places it in the top 20% of all banks in its peer group.
"The board is very appreciative of its officers and employees and the Longview area citizenry who have supported and entrusted our bank with their personal and business accounts for nearly half a century," said Mendicello.
Spring Hill stands among a shrinking number of independent community banks. Its local ownership and experienced, expert management
provide a crucial advantage in customer service. The bank supplies various kinds of consumer, commercial and real estate loans. This includes thirty-year home mortgage loans. It has offered Saturday banking services since 1978. It furthermore offers such traditional services as Tele bank, internet banking and bill pay.
In addition, the bank staff look upon themselves as for tunate to be blessed with the opportunity to give back to the community for more than for ty years. For them, Longview is a wonderful town for both living and working. Spring Hill's employees encourage each other to be active in com munity affairs and functions.
Ensuring that Longview and neighboring coun ties continues to grow and prosper is the mission of this bank. Anybody and everybody seeking general banking func tions and loans is welcome to come in and get acquainted.
Story and photos by JOYCELYNE FADOJUTIMI
President Wallace Rhymes III
Business and Finance Business and Finance
When you contact your financial institutions to determine the issue, the representatives tell you that your cards have not been declined; instead, you’ve been charged more than you anticipated for the purchase. You realize that either the website you were shopping on was a scam or the email you were sent from the business was fraudulent, and now the scammer has access to your personal and financial information. Several consumers have
Card declined? It Could be a Scam
By MECHELE MILLS
It can happen when you least expect it…your credit card is declined!
Ok, it happens – it’s possible you might not have enough money in your account - or you forgot to tell your bank you’re traveling abroad. However, if you receive an error or “card declined” message when shopping online, it might be a sign of a new twist on online shopping scams.
BBB Scam Tracker has received reports from consumers receiving fraudulent charges on their financial accounts after facing “card
declined” messages when shopping online. The American Automobile Association (AAA) has also recently warned consumers about fraudulent emails promising a free emergency kit, in which consumers faced similar “card declined” error messages but were still charged.
How this scam works
You’re shopping online and decide to purchase from a retail website. Or you receive an email from what you think is a reputable business for a
discounted or free offer and decide to take advantage. You enter your personal information, including your email address, phone number, and shipping address.
When you enter your debit or credit card number for payment, the website tells you that your card was declined or you receive an error message,
“Your card did not go through for some reason.” This is unexpected since you have enough funds in your account.
You decide to try another card for payment, but you receive the same error message!
Watch out for fake emails, texts, and ads. Scammers love impersonating businesses in fake emails, text messages, and social media advertisements. Don’t trust unsolicited messages, and always verify links before clicking on them. When in doubt, delete the message or ignore the ad, and visit the business’s website on your own instead of clicking the links.
other retailers to compare the pricing of the product you want. Get an idea of the actual price of the product. You may be able to find the product at a trustworthy retailer (such as a BBB Accredited retailer) and feel more comfortable making your purchase.
reported similar experiences to BBB Scam Tracker. In one example, someone shared, “I attempted to purchase a water bottle from [company name redacted] for my son…The website declined my initial transaction, so I attempted it with a different credit card, which was also declined. I then asked my husband to try…and it was declined for him as well…each of these three payment methods…all had fraudulent charges pop up.” This consumer reported losing $200.
How to avoid similar scams
Verify you are shopping on a legitimate website. Scammers build fake, lookalike websites to trick shoppers into thinking they are buying from the actual business. Look closely at the URL (it may be off by a letter or two) and check that the website is secure by verifying you see the “https://” in front of the URL.
Don’t be fooled by great offers. Prices which seem too good to be true often are. If you’re unsure about purchasing from a business, shop around with
Research the business. Before making a purchase, look up customer reviews online and search the business on BBB.org. Look for the BBB Seal to verify if the business is BBB Accredited. If you think it may be a scam, search on BBB Scam Tracker.
PATH EVENT A HIT:
DOLES OUT AWARDS
PATH Week Celebration
Dinner held at Green Acres Baptist Church Crosswalk Conference Center was a dazzling success. The dinner, an annual fundraising and awareness event, highlights the organization’s program and services of kindness and relief for families.
Craig Allen Cooper, TV and radio personality, a best-selling author and conference speaker keynoted the event. Cooper, one of the founding pastors of Redeeming Grace Church in Franklin, Tennessee, resides in Nashville with his wife, Laura with their four children.
PATH’ work is amazing and beyond description. For example, last year, PATH served more than 25,000 residents and kept more than 1,100 children warm via Coats for Kids. Moreover, PATH assisted approximately 1000 families with
housing and 50 more families received individualized case management.
PATH doled out the TRUDY RICHARDSON COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD to the following community members and entities.
J. Chad Parker, PLLC. PATH stated, “J. Chad Parker, PLLC has helped PATH serve hundreds of neighbors in need through his selfless giving and support. The impact Mr. Parker has made in our community is immeasurable, and we are so very thankful for his generous spirit.”
Jimmy Olson, aka Jammin' Jimmy. According to PATH, “In the last 4 years, Jimmy's drives have provided PATH over 140,000 pounds in food, $46,000 worth of diapers and almost $24,000 in personal care items.”
Christus Fund - The Christus Fund in partnership with PATH made it possible for Clarkston Elementary students to stay on their campus as long as possible which in turn had a positive impact on students’ education and the community at large.
Jimmy Olson with his daughter
Christus Fund receiving Trudy Richardson Community Impact Award
Guest SpeakerCraig Allen Cooper PATH awards J. Chad Parker PLLC
Guest Speaker, Craig Allen Cooper & Executive Director of PATH Andrea Wilson Lobaugh
These classes are hands-on and teach great skills that are extremely beneficial,” he said. “All of these kids are still getting the academic side of things, but they get to come to our building and learn hands-on skills that will benefit them no matter what they plan on doing later on in life,” he added.
Importantly, LHS CTE program is about opportunities. A student can get an Industry Based Certification that they can use upon graduation. “LHS offers over 20 different pathways and that number is increasing,” Gross said. “From Culinary to Automotive, to Welding. This program is about opportunities.”
Gross is proud of his students and the programs. Besides talking to prospective
employers and finding out what they need, LHS CTE programs prepares students, “To enter the workforce or pursue additional educational opportunities beyond high school,” he said. “I would tell any prospective employer to give me a call and come by and see our building and what we are doing. We have great kids and instructors, and I would be happy to show them around.”
The Lobo Nation: LISD Sup. Dr. Sheppard; Dual credit students Diego Dosal, Joseph Bonner; CTE Director John Gross and LHS Principal Shemeika Allen
LHS Culinary Delights
6 stress
SPLAYING
WITH ways to reduce
By CHAD ROBERTS
My first counseling session of the day was at 10:00 AM.
tress is a significant public health challenge. The Ipsos Global Advisor survey for World Mental Health Day 2022 found that most Americans feel the United States health care system places less importance on mental health than physical health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says mental health problems may occur as more adults deal with stress. In August 2022, more than 32 percent of adults in the U.S. reported having symptoms of anxiety or depression in the last two weeks. The stress response gets a person through tough times, as the body rallies to evade a threat. Typically, when the danger subsides, the body can go back to business as usual. However, when stress is ongoing, it can cause harm like chronic inflammation. In addition, the constant activation of the immune system raises
the risk for many adverse health effects, including heart disease and stroke.
Keys to keep stress at a minimum for personal well-being.
These strategies can help.
1. Get active: Exercise will not make stress disappear, but it can relieve some of the emotional responses and clear thoughts to let you deal with problems more readily.
2. Use laughter: Harvard Health says laughter reduces stress hormones and is a way to experience joy, optimism and hope.
3. Reduce loud noises: Sometimes loud noises can trigger a stress response . It can make it hard to think and take you away from being mindful. Avoiding loud scenarios or wearing earplugs or noisecanceling headphones can help.
4. Avoid unhealthy habits: Some people turn to alcohol or smoking to deal with stress. Overall, these habits can exacerbate stress and lead to additional health problems.
5. Meditate: The Mayo Clinic says attention is focused to help calm the thoughts in the mind and give a sense of peace and calm. Meditation can include guided imagery, mindfulness and visualization exercises.
6. Connect with others: Meaningful relationships can create feelings of belonging. Feeling cared for and supported can help people cope with stress and be more resilient. Building connections involves reaching out to community, family or friends. Sometimes just talking things out with others as a sounding board can alleviate stress, especially when others share that they have experienced similar situations.
The young father of four sat nervously in my office. Before I walked in, I prayed that God would give me every word to say to him. I offered him some coffee and tried to put him at ease, because I know how difficult it was for him to come see me, especially since we had never met. A sexual affair had ripped his marriage apart.
On the surface, I sensed conviction from him, and it appeared he wanted to be right with God. However, when I pressed the issue of ending it with the other woman, he refused. “What are you thinking?” I objected. “Do you seriously think this is not going to destroy your family and future?” He assured me that he knew what he was doing, and that his kids would be fine.
It was cold and snowy on this particular day. There is no fireplace in my counseling office. So, I asked the young man what he thought about me building a fire in one of its corners. He said that would
be a bad idea since the room was all sheetrock. “Yes, but I'm quite certain I can contain it.” I explained that no matter how much I wanted him to trust me, there would be no way I could contain a fire outside of a fireplace. It would be foolish to believe that the entire building would not burn to the ground.
Proverbs 6:27 says, “Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?” Perhaps you are playing with fire. It may be texting conversations that should not be happening. Perhaps it is lunches and side conversations at work that are beginning to cross the line, or perhaps you find yourself already in an affair. Do not be deceived. You cannot play with fire and not be burned. Walk away before it destroys your marriage, your children, and your future.
GALE JOHNSON: LONGVIEW
ISD EDUCATOR NABS AWARD
“If a child does not learn in the way that we teach, we must teach in the way that they learn.” - Gale Johnson
Gale Johnson recently received a “Lifetime Presidential Achievement Award,” in education. Ms. Johnson has been teaching at Bramlette Elementary School for more than two decades. According to Johnson, she chose to be an educator because she is confident that all students can learn.
Mostly importantly, she recognizes that students do not learn the same way. “But every student can learn,” she says. “Some learn in a different way, but every child can learn.”
For this reason, her favorite motto is: “If a child does not learn in the way that we teach, we must teach in the way that they learn.”
Her principal, Ms. Julie Hope, concurs. “Ms. Johnson is devoted to her students. Gayle is always calm and patient with students who are in crisis. She has a soothing way of reaching students who are struggling. We are so lucky to have her.”
The idiom that an apple does not fall far from the tree is true
She is thrilled when she sees hope and imagination in the eyes of her students. “ I like helping them to discover that all things are possible . There are no limitations when you do the work.”
Johnson sings the praise of Bramlette ES and Longview ISD, (LISD). “What I most like about Bramlette is the leadership. I think we have some of the best administrators and teachers in the world,” she said.
“This is a very loving, motivated, and inspiring school, which makes for a great learning environment for students.”
Moreover, she has several reasons why she believes Longview ISD is a distinguished district. “I love that Longview ISD is student centered. LISD offers great incentives for their
Lifestyle Options and Senior Care Services
teachers, and they support the teachers both professionally and personally.” Hence, she shares her own personal experiences with the district. They include sending a journalist to cover her Lifetime Presidential Achievement Award, and when she was Keys To The City Recipient.
But wait, that is not all. There is more.
“LISD also attended the 2017 Stars Over Longview where I received the 2017 Star Over Longview from Regional Hospital,” she stated. “Very seldom do you see schools and districts as large as Longview ISD celebrating the individual accomplishments of their students and teachers. That speaks to the care that they have for their employees and students.”
Story & photo by JOYCELYNE FADOJUTIMI
Gale Johnson in her classroom
Gale Johnson
Enjoy extra time with family thanks to this simple, flavorful entree
The holiday season is a special time unlike any other period over the course of a calendar year. A festive atmosphere undoubtedly contributes to the unique, warm vibe of the holiday season. Increased opportunities to spend time with family and friends also make the holiday season special. Such gatherings may take place at restaurants or other public spaces, but many families also celebrate by welcoming friends and relatives into their homes. Hosting is no small task, particularly when hosts must feed a crowd. However, choosing simple recipes, such as this one for Green Asparagus Wrapped In Roast Beef courtesy of Lines Angles, can free up time to socialize with loved ones.
Green Asparagus Wrapped In Roast Beef
Makes 4 servings or 8 appetizers
• 8 thick asparagus, woody ends removed
• 8 slices roast beef, cold, trimmed of excess fat and gristle
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 2 scallions, or spring onions, chopped
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
1. Blanch the asparagus spears in a large saucepan of salted, boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes until tender to the bite.
2. Drain and refresh immediately in a large
bowl of ice water. Remove from the water after 3 minutes and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Spread the slices of roast beef with the cottage cheese. Place an asparagus spear at one end of the slice and roll into a cigar shape, enveloping the asparagus in the center. 4. Arrange on a platter and sprinkle with chopped scallion before serving.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
her to great achievements even though no two days are alike.
Her daily routine varies greatly according to the individual needs of varied organizations. She spends some days talking with social service providers on the complexities of poverty and its eradication, or she may be occupied with grant writing or in research. She fills some days lecturing social work students on the influence of advocacy, and sometimes she makes meticulous presentations to alumni associations on the positives and negatives of being a 501c3 tax-exempt. She also spends time flawlessly devising work plans and budgets, creating a board skills matrix, or filling out paperwork required by the state or IRS.
"Because my work varies it's always fresh and exciting," she says. "The best part is I can do most of it in my pajamas while drinking a cup of coffee."
It all comes back to her love for those whose lives she works to improve. Making this world a better place is her passion, and her influence rubs off on her coworkers. Her drive to assist the less fortunate is downright contagious, which means that on days when she is not feeling her best her colleagues ensure there is no drop-off in profitable work.
"I'm also inspired by stories of folks that are helped by nonprofit organizations," Jackie says. "I'm constantly reminded that it is possible to change a life with the right support system."
Not every aspect of her calling is something she enjoys. Finding adequate funding for her projects is generally a trial, but she typically
finds a way. Government entities, foundations, individuals, and corporate sponsors generally respond favorably to her entreaties for financial assistance, which is what makes success in her work possible. Still, this is an ongoing battle both for her and others of her kind.
The many great organizations that have collapsed because of economic woes are a heartbreaking part of her career.
Jackie advises all those who embark on community assistance careers to look upon every situation as an opportunity to learn how to make this world a better place. She urges newcomers to take as many classes as possible in order to learn how to succeed in this field and to make positive changes in their methods rather than to be set in their ways. Absorbing vital information from others is a valuable way of improving one's entry and success in this field. A thick skin is also an attribute. Do not let failure in any one chapter of endeavor lead to discouragement. Forget pain and a bruised ego and get back to doing good. Her love of community involvement is apparent in her seemingly endless list of civic-help organs. She sits on the board of the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce, the Tyler/Smith County League of Women Voters, is a member of the Community Advisory Board for the University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine and College of Social Work, she chairs the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce Veterans' Committee and serves as an internal advisory board member for the Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences.
On top of all this, she recently joined the newly formed Veterans' Cemetery Coalition of East Texas, which concentrates on assisting organizations dedicated to serving veterans and military families throughout East Texas. Presently, this panel's main objective is establishing a state veterans' cemetery in the Tyler/Longview area to be added to the vets' cemeteries already in Killeen, Corpus Christi, Mission, Abilene and one in Lubbock slated to open in 2025. There are also four national Veterans Administration cemeteries in Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, and El Paso.
"Many East Texas veterans have to travel over 100 miles to any veterans' cemetery," she says. "We desperately need a veterans' cemetery in East Texas, especially since we have the largest unserved veteran population in Texas."
Presently, Tyler has 33,140 underserved veterans, and another 37,252 are in Longview. These selfless soldiers deserve an available facility to supply committal services and eternal care of the grounds and gardens. Veterans' Cemetery Coalition members will meet October 24, 2024, at the Longview VFW (400 Ambassador Row) at 1:30 p.m. to confer on this project. Even though the coalition is brand new, Jackie has no doubt it will succeed.
"I look forward to helping get more people involved and seeing what we can accomplish together," she says. "My father is a Vietnam veteran and was wounded serving our country."
She considers her career in volunteer/self-help work as more than a job. To her it is a blessing, honor, and privilege. It has led
"My biological mother left me, my twin sister and our brother with babysitters, and never returned," she says. "That couple located one of my mother's sisters and we stayed with her for a while until she surrendered us to a children’s home. I was four years old."
- Jackie Clay-Robertson
her to a long list of recognitions. She earned a place on the Greater Knoxville Business Journal's 40 under 40, was recognized as a Healthcare Hero by the Tennessee Health Care Campaign, won the Change Agent Award from the Knoxville Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP,) pulled down a Freedom Fighter Award from the Tyler Chapter of the NAACP, took a Juneteenth Humanitarian Award from the Empowerment Community Development Corporation, and the Excellence in Board Governance Award from NeighborWorks America.
Jackie sharpened her commu-
nity service work ability by graduating from the Knoxville/Knox County Community Action Committee's Community Leadership Program, the FBI Citizens' Academy, Leadership Oak Ridge, Leadership Roane County, and East Tennessee Regional Leadership. She has even found time to join Catalyst 100, a collaborative initiative between Leadership Tyler, the city of Tyler/ Smith County, the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Tyler Economic Development Council. This co-op aims to prepare/enable civic leaders in this area via a forum for networking, leadership mentoring, and discussing issues of significant community impact.
It is important to note, their mother kept them well-supplied with books and urgings to do their best in school. By signing them up for Bible quiz team, she helped hone their study habits, reading skills and memorization. They earned a permanent place on honor roll from the fourth grade and kept up their formal Bible studies all the way until high school graduation. She is endlessly grateful for her adoptive family's positive influence.
"They taught me how to be accepting of people who are different," she says. "They taught me that your sisters and brothers do not have to be related to you by blood because are all the children of God."
Her first stab into higher education came when she was eighteen and enrolled at Talladega College in Alabama, where she spent a freshman year she later called "a disaster." She spent most of her time concentrating on her social life and was sobered when she became pregnant. This shocked her into re-evaluating her priorities.
"It was a wakeup call," she says. "I finished the year strong, but when averaged with my first semester my GPA was good but not great."
Jackie departed Talladega in May following her freshman year and gave birth to a beautiful boy two months later. She transferred to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga but was overwhelmed by the pressures of being a working, single mother and a college student. After living from day-to-day for a few years, she listened when her sister encouraged
her to return to college. The sister was majoring in economics at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (UTK,) and after meticulously scanning the list of majors Jackie settled on social work.
"I was hesitant at first because I'd tried to go back once and had to withdraw, and I wasn't sure that UT would accept me again," she says. "After a few months of encouragement, I decided to apply, and to my surprise I was accepted."
Hers was a drawn-out, fifteenyear stay at UTK. Sometimes she attended classes full-time, and sometimes part-time, sometimes taking time off when she felt overwhelmed, but she never stopped working both on and off campus. She eventually pulled down bachelor's and master's degrees concentrating on management, leadership, and community practice. She titled her brilliant master's thesis A Differential Analysis of Factors that Contribute to Kin Support Among Employed African Americans.
"I completed all the required coursework, and partially completed my dissertation for a doctoral degree in social work, but did not finish the program," she says.
Her time at UTK was fulfilling and productive as she copresented Navigating the Concrete Jungle: Behaviorial and Educational Outcomes of African American Children and Adolescents in Urban Public Housing Communities at the National Association of Black Social Workers 36th Annual Conference. She also co-authored a journal article titled The Intersection Between Physi-
cal Health and Mental Health: A Global Perspective for the Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work. She even earned a Citation for Extraordinary Achievement in Senior Field Practice. Her resume of great accomplishments goes on and on.
She holds certifications from the Alliance for Better Non-Profits in Non-Profit Human Resources, Non-Profit Leadership, and NonProfit Field Development. She graduated from the Non-Profit Academy of Momentum NonProfit Partners. She trained as a community organizer with the Gamaliel National Network and earned certificates in Community Engagement and Resident Leadership from NeighborWorks America. Her thirst for helping others led her to take more than fifty classes that were not even required by her degree programs.
"Learning is something that I love to do," she says. "It gives me a deeper understanding and greater respect for this work."
Her constant, hard and successful work has enabled her to expertly lead non-profit, healthcare and government entities. This has sharpened her talents for strategic planning, community outreach/engagement, board development, volunteer management, research, organizational development, fundraising, grant management, event planning, teaching, and working with the underpriviledged.
Currently, she serves as principal consultant/owner of Jackie Clay Consulting. Before working full-time in consulting, she served as chief executive officer of East Texas Human Needs Net-
work, which is a collective action group of more than one hundred community partners. While still in Tennessee she worked as executive director of Family Promise of Greater Chattanooga and oversaw the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge.
Family Promise provides essential emergency family sheltering in collaboration with local churches. It insures those in dire need will receive rent and utility assistance, transportation, and case management. The Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge maintains three facilities, in Anderson, Morgan and Roane counties, supplying no-cost medical treatment to uninsured adults.
Jackie has even found time to serves as a community organizer, adjunct professor at UTK, and working as Program Manager/Project Manager for the city if Knoxville's office of the mayor. For the past twenty-four years she has tirelessly toiled for the enrichment of others.
The positions through which she has served non-profits over the past twenty-four years are legion. She has worked as a volunteer, employee, consultant, and officer on multiple boards of directors. Starting in 2016 she toiled nights and weekends as a consultant with various organizations, working on assignments she felt strongly about. As of late she has been doing this full-time, working as a board member for one or two years in each post, recruiting members and garnering community support.
"I help organizations create bylaws, develop a strategic plan, write grant proposals and pretty
much anything a startup nonprofit organization needs," she says.
Social work was a natural direction for someone like Jackie, who yearns endlessly to improve the lot of others. While still in college she had stints in field placements, a work study job, and a summer job as a case manager.
The diversity of those she assisted made her realize the great sense of accomplishment to be received by teaching others to help others.
"Nonprofit management and consulting give me the perfect opportunity to do that," she says.
"I'm constantly amazed at what can be created when people share a common vision."
She is endlessly, unselfishly fulfilled when she sees organizations thrive after she was part of their establishment. She has never let failures and hurdles hamper her work. She regards obstacles as something to be defeated and avoided as she endlessly rebounds and starts again, profitably.
"Life has a way of taking you up, down and all around," she says.
Her Christian faith is a major aspect of her ongoing vocational successes. Despite her frenetic schedule she doggedly finds time to worship her Lord and Savior. This is a natural course for someone whose father and hus-
band are both pastors, and their ongoing influence helps keep her firmly directed down the straight and narrow. Their input and influence is always accessible and crucial as she processes and reacts to her daily tasks. This and the power of prayer are essential for her campaigns.
"Prayer is an important part of my day," she says. "I ask God for guidance, forgiveness, understanding, grace, you name it."
The Holy Spirit has blessed her with overall competence and an inner drive that enables her to succeed in her endless quests to help others. While pursuing a career that she deeply shares, Jackie also encircles herself with her family and beloved co-workers who help her accomplish her objectives. Whenever life knocks her down, she rises and keeps chasing her goals with increased vigor. She has total faith that God will never forsake her and will guide
Jackie Clay-Robertson
JACKIE CLAY-ROBERTSON A Story of Love, Compassion and True Grit
By PAULA JIMENEZ AND PEACE FLORIS
Jackie Clay-Robertson was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and lived there for years before moving to Knoxville to attend college. This is where she spent the next twenty years before relocating to Tyler in October of 2021. This was a great move for herself, her family, and the Rose City.
Her husband, Dr. Vernon M. Robertson, pastors Tyler's New Life Community Church and oversees their happy, blended family of five children and nine grandchildren. Theirs is a blissful union. They met in their house of worship and married on the first anniversary of their first date, and their mutual adoration is unmistakable.
"There are so many things that I admire and respect about my husband. Most important is that he loves the Lord," she says. "We keep each other laughing with lighthearted humor, he's an attentive father and grandfather, a great listener and a staunch
supporter of my aspirations."
Her background ensures that her appreciation for good parenting (and grandparenting) remain foremost in this high opinion. Her childhood was wayward and nomadic.
"My biological mother left me, my twin sister and our brother with babysitters, and never returned," she says. "That couple located one of my mother's sisters and we stayed with her for a while until she surrendered us to a children’s home. I was four years old."
She spent the next five years shuffling between foster homes until, aged nine, when the sisters were featured on a television show called Wednesday's Child that encouraged viewers to foster or adopt homeless children. A sweet, compassionate lady named Varnetta Clay saw the segment, telephoned her husband Reverend George Clay, and told him, "George, I just saw our girls on TV."
The Clays lovingly fostered the girls for three years, and then legally adopted them when they were twelve. It established a prec-
edent for this brood.
"My family has fostered or adopted over twenty children and provided adult foster care to adults with mental illness or mobility issues," Jackie says. "Most of my brothers and sisters have special needs or were older when housed with our family."
She is saddened to have not seen her biological brother since she was four but prays that he is happy and with a family that loves and nurtures him. Her adoptive parents did not even know she had a biological brother until after she had joined them but are doing a great job of using their faith as a guidepost in parenting her and her sister according to God's will.
Her adoptive parents were a blessing themselves as they gave the sisters a loving, Christian home and provided support and encouragement as the girls followed the straight and narrow. They spent their first years of elementary school in special education and speech therapy, but by the third grade were in standard classes.
Jackie Clay-Robertson
A Story of Love, Compassion and True Grit
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