As Southeastern Regional director of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., a key priority of Lisa Ivory is building the next generation of Black leaders.
Under Ivory’s leadership, the organization has worked to develop a sense of advocacy in the children it serves. “We are very strong in advocacy and teaching our children how to fight within the halls of Congress at the local, state, and national levels—to fight for the things that mean the most to them,” Ivory said.
During her tenure, member children have had the opportunity to express their passion for issues they care about and discuss policies that reflect their generational concerns such as the CROWN Act, the Policing Act, and gun safety.
Established in 1938, Jack and Jill of America, Inc. has 271 chapters nationwide, representing more than 50,000 member families. Each chapter plans annual programming guided under the organization’s five point thrust: cultural awareness, educational development, health (education and advocacy), civic (legislative advocacy and service) and social/recreational areas. The Greater Fort Lauderdale chapter was established in 1964.
Ivory said her appointed mission as regional director is to ensure that the children and families served by the Greater Fort Lauderdale chapter feel loved, valued, and equipped with the tools to thrive in society.
“What I learned as I grew in my leadership is that you cannot pour from an empty cup,” she explained, “and in order to do the work required for our community, our children, and our families, I had to pour into the people who were doing the work.”
The organization, composed of mothers with children ages 2 to 19, provides access to various monthly programs involving STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics), community service, civic engagement, education, and leadership.
In addition to her role in Jack and Jill, Ivory has been a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. for 33 years. She joined at age 19 as a sophomore in college. She said the experience helped her gain a sense of community and laid the groundwork for her leadership position in Jack and Jill.
Ivory holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Fort Valley State University and a Master of Public Policy from Florida A&M University.
As an organization primarily consisting of Black mothers, Ivory acknowledges the challenges of balancing everyday life demands while remaining committed to volunteer work.
“We’re juggling family, kids, marriage, and professions,” Ivory said. “Our people in this organization are leading in just about every aspect you can imagine.”
For Ivory, leadership is defined by action.
“It’s not who you are, it’s what you do,” Ivory reflected. “My ultimate goal as a leader is to leave the organization better than I inherited it and to remain persistent in building future leaders.”
Ivory believes that being a servant leader is essential to the success of community-driven work.
“I’ll tell you personally,” she shared, “as a leader, my guiding principle is this: to lead the people, you have to love the people.”
