SYNERGY -Romona Jackson

Story By: Dr. Anthony Robinson

“We all have a remnant of people that God has designed for us to reach and touch. If you do not move forward, that remnant is being deprived from the awesomeness you have to impart.”

Ramona Jackson wants you to know that you have the tools for success. You have the agency to make your situation better and to become a leader. How? “I never enter a room filled with leaders without a pen and paper.”

Jackson is a multifaceted businesswoman that has been building her portfolio and helping others for her entire life. Born in Haines City, Florida, Jackson was raised in Brooklyn. She recalls the pressures of growing up in BedfordStuyvesant, and a conversation with her late mother at the age of 15: “I remember it like it was yesterday. She called me to the living room, asked me to sit next to her, and with tears in her eyes said, ‘Mona, all I want you to do for me is to graduate from high school. If you don’t do anything else, please graduate. You are doing well, and so many people are looking for you to fail, and by God’s Grace, that will never happen.”

She never did fail. In fact, Jackson graduated at the top of her class and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Broadcast Journalism from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.

After working at several radio stations in the Orlando area, Jackson started working for what would eventually become Wells Fargo in 2005 and currently presides as the regional banking district manager, where she oversees eight branches in Gainesville.

“I had to learn to navigate life alone and not fall victim to the negative influences that surrounded me. I had to stay focused, dig deep and encourage myself because that’s all I knew to do.”

Banking isn’t the only profession Jackson works in. She is also an accomplished writer and singer. She counts the debut of her first stage play as one of her most proud accomplishments. “Train Up a Child”, ran at PK Yonge Auditorium in Gainesville for a twoday sold-out production. She has also published two books and has a third coming this summer.

“My faith in God began at an early age. I attended church a lot, which is where I discovered I could sing.” Jackson is a very faithful Christian woman and says she has been for as long as she can remember. She greatly attributes her success and artistic talents to her faith.

“Use what God gave you to the fullest and the door will open. I worked hard and at every point of elevation, someone offered me an opportunity.”

Jackson is fiercely passionate about helping others achieve economic empowerment. This is the subject of her books and she has held many economic empowerment seminars where she shares her knowledge with others in need.

“I am a firm believer that the difference between those that have and those that struggle, is exposure to the proper information, tools and resources, and, most importantly, how to apply those tools and information.”

Her motto is “Each one, reach one, teach one and succeed together.” And this is the perspective she brings to her seminars: to help others who’ve struggled in the same way she has. “I worked, received a paycheck every two weeks, and I was still living from hand to mouth. I thought that my credit score was beyond embarrassing, and I was afraid to answer phone calls. By God’s grace, I was exposed to, and given the proper tools to change my entire financial picture. Now it is a mission of mine to make sure that no one goes through what I went through.”

This is what Jackson believes being a leader is all about. Leaders help others improve themselves, and in turn, raise their own self in the process. She wants aspiring leaders to understand that when they help others, they in turn can embody the leaders they want to be.

“I remember going to a conference, and some women who looked like me came up to me with pen and paper. They asked me how I got to where I am, and if I could mentor them. I was humbled beyond words! That is where my courage came from.”

Jackson wants us to learn from her story that each person has the tools to build themselves as they see fit. “Do not doubt yourself. Trust that you are equipped to be a leader, and everything you need is within you. Keep moving; people are waiting for you!”