Texas College is pleased to advise that the Texas College National Alumni & Ex-Students Association (TCNAA) has elected Athena Smith Jackson as the new TCNAA National President.
Athena Smith Jackson is a 1978 Cum Laude graduate of Texas College, where she majored in Social Science, and is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Following her graduation from Texas College, she earned the Master of Science degree in Public Administration, as well as a certification as a Certified Trainer in Human Resource Development and Training. Now retired, Smith Jackson was a multi-faceted accomplished higher education professional with a proven record of success in executive leadership administration, logistical planning and implementation of programs and events, community outreach, conflict management, counseling, and training. She served Florida Memorial University, an HBCU in Miami, Florida, for over 25 years, culminating her professional tenure as the Executive Director of the Career Development Center. Congruently, she also served on the National Urban League Executive Advisory Board, the Job Corp College Relations Board, and the War on Poverty Council.
Aside from her professional experiences, she has faithfully served TCNAA as the South Florida Chapter President, Marketing Committee Chairperson, Last Mile Scholarship Program Chairperson, and as a member of the Homecoming Committee. As the South Florida Chapter President, she led the charge that increased membership, doubled giving to Texas College, and created the South Florida Chapter Signature Scholarship Weekend event with alumni participants from across the country. Moreover, Smith Jackson was voted as the 2022 TCNAA Outstanding Alumna.
As the new TCNAA National President, Smith Jackson's vision is to grow the Association by utilizing strong capacity building to take TCNAA to the next level of operational, programmatic, technological, financial, and continued organizational maturity to effectively and efficiently advance the mission of TCNAA. Additionally, she aims to make the Association stronger through the creation of a digital platform to streamline processes and create metrics to measure success. Moreover, she plans to ensure that every chapter can achieve their fullest potential and will continue to encourage the building of new chapters across the country.
