Remembering Jimbo Jackson

Alumni from the FSU College of Education travel to all corners of the world to make their mark, but there is plenty of work to be done closer to campus. Some of the alumni who stay fall in love with the Spanish moss and old trees lining quiet roads. Others, like Jimbo Jackson, have always been a local; FSU has always been their school. To this group, Tallahassee is more than just a temporary stop on their life’s roadmap. It is their home, and they make it their mission to make our community a better place.

Jimbo Jackson epitomized what it means to be a homegrown hero. He spent three decades as an educator and principal at Ft. Braden School and nearly six years as Leon County commissioner. He spent his life fighting to improve his community, which too often is overlooked. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s from FSU in Physical Education Teaching and returned for a master’s in Educational Leadership & Administration in 2003.

Tragically, he passed away in May 2022 due to complications from long COVID at the age of 55. The Tallahassee community has spent months mourning a man who championed the needs of his students and constituents. Much has been said and written about Jackson–how he led his school and Ft. Braden community, how he treated his students with respect and kindness, and how the only thing he loved more than Ft. Braden was his family.

The FSU College of Education decided to honor his legacy in its own way during the first annual ElevatED Cooperating Teacher Awards, which invited cooperating teachers that work with our School of Teacher Education students. The college created the Jimbo Jackson Educational Leadership Award to recognize an outstanding leader in our community. The inaugural award went to Dr. Allen Burch. Burch is the long-time principal of Lincoln High School, and during his tenure, he has graduated over 6,000 students. In addition, he has mentored or helped develop 12 current assistant principals or principals in Leon County Schools.

The event also recognized three outstanding cooperating teachers, nominated by FSU students based on their experiences in their classrooms. The three winners of the ElevatED Cooperating Teacher Award were Cathy Mahoney from Oakridge Elementary School, Jennifer Bronwen West from Cobb Middle School, and Zellanye Hutchins from Gretchen Everhart School.

The Jimbo Jackson Educational Leadership Award will continue to honor his legacy for years and years to come. However, the spirit of Jackson very much lives on in the community he loved and worked for, carried by his peers, friends and family. Rocky Hanna, superintendent of Leon County Schools, reflects on his relationship with Jackson. “He led from the heart,” says Hanna. “He was a product of our public schools, and for him to have an opportunity to go back and lead the school that he attended was really special to him and that community.”

Hanna says that even as he faced declining health, Jackson “was more focused on what was going to happen to Ft. Braden, his school and his community than he was about his own personal situation. And that just speaks to his character that Jimbo had. He was always putting others above himself. It was never about him; always what he could do to help someone else in life.”

Beyond his selflessness, Jackson also tried to move beyond political divisions and instead focused on doing the right thing, Hanna says. When Jackson informed Hanna that he was running for county commissioner, Hanna recalls being surprised at the announcement. “I was like, “I’ve never noticed you had an interest in politics,’ and he didn’t. He never really did have an interest. But he had an interest in protecting and supporting the community that he was born and raised in.”

The thing that Hanna remembers most about his friend, however, was his level-headedness and insight. “Jimbo was never too high, never too low–just a very calm demeanor. I could really rely on Jimbo.” Hanna says that when he would have an issue, the two of them would “go for a ride or have a cup of coffee or sit down and discuss it over lunch, and he was always able to give me a perspective that I maybe had not considered.

“Jimbo was just always this calm and steady force as a leader, and I really admired his leadership,” Hanna says.

Jamie Holleman is the Student Choice Coordinator for Leon County Schools, but her relationship with Jackson extended far beyond a professional capacity. Her brother and Jackson were best friends in high school, and to Holleman, Jackson was “like a little brother, but I had him on such a high pedestal that I looked up to him like a big brother and a pillar in our community. I was honored to be his friend.”

She remembers that his family owned a convenience store that was a favorite spot for all of her friends. “His family’s story and all of our stories are interwoven together,” she says. “He grew up humbly like we all did, and he stayed humble, and so he had our respect and our loyalty because he never forgot where he came from.”

Having grown up in the area together, Holleman watched her friendship strengthen with Jackson, particularly as he served as principal for five of her grandchildren at Ft. Braden School.

One day, she recalls that the school nurse was out on vacation, and he volunteered to fill the position. “It amazed him, the power of a lollipop,” she jokes. “The kids would come to the clinic with whatever ailment they had, and he would give them a lollipop, and they would be all better–it was a miracle!

“It only took a couple of hours and a bag of lollipops later to realize more kids came to the clinic that day than ever. They just wanted a lollipop!” she laughs.

Holleman says that his sense of humor made him an endearing figure, but it was his commitment to others that elevated him to a role model in his community. “He was always a phone call away. The minute he or I would get word that clothes or food was needed for one of our families, he would drop everything and work together to make sure that the family was provided for.”

So much more can be said and written about Jimbo Jackson. However, despite his commitment to his community and the love shared from everyone, the final word belongs to those who knew him best: his family. We reached out to his family to offer them a chance to share their thoughts on Jimbo Jackson. It is only fitting that those who loved him most—and those he loved the most—get the last word.

Beth Jackson, wife: Jimbo reminded me to love people first. Getting to know their story was of utmost importance. He made me braver and made me smile. He was my very best friend. He enjoyed life in a way that was contagious.

Drew Button, stepson: Jimbo reminded me to keep going even when life gets tough.

Allie Richards, daughter: My dad was a people person. He didn’t just know your name. He knew your story, your family, where you came from, and where you were going. Just knowing someone’s name wasn’t enough for him; he invested in the people around him and got to know them personally. He could tell you about all the students and families of the Ft. Braden School community, past and present. The Ft. Braden community was his passion. He is the reason I became an educator and hopefully I can be half the leader he was one day. Those lucky enough to have known my dad are better because of it.

Luke Button, stepson: In three words, Jimbo was generous, smart, and very liked by everyone.

Ashley Rutherford, daughter: One of my favorite things about being his daughter is being known as “Jimbo Jackson’s daughter.” To this day, at least once a week maybe twice, someone recognizes me, or I meet someone that knew him. And then they proceed to tell me what a great man he was or how he impacted their life. And let me tell you, Tallahassee is a small town, and everybody knows him. I live for these moments now. People who don’t even know me respect and value me just because of what he meant to them. Looking back now, this speaks volumes to how he treated and loved others around him. He was the “take his shirt off his back” type of guy and he truly loved serving this community. He made me a better person every day, and I’m so thankful he was in my life for my 32 years on this earth.