Citizen of the Year Jackson Makes Family Focus for Serving Others

May 5, 2017 - Richmond Community College Foundation Citizen of the Year John Jackson was formally recognized for this honor at the 2017 Anniversary Gala at the Cole Auditorium last Saturday, May 6.

“This is not about being a good citizen, this is about family,” said Jackson, who is president of Richmond Memorial Hospital and Sandhills Regional Medical Center.

While Jackson had many personal family members in attendance, Jackson said family includes the people he works with at the hospital, the patients served by the hospital and the people in the community.
“Family takes care of family. That’s the way I was raised. It’s what you do,” Jackson said, explaining how he learned this life lesson from his parents and siblings, and how it has shaped him into the person he is today.

Jackson first started working as a consultant for Richmond Memorial Hospital in 1984.

“From the first day, I felt like I was treated like family. With this recognition, I feel like part of the Richmond County family,” he said.

Jackson is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the NCHA Political Action Committee and past member of the NCHA Policy Development Committee. He is currently a member of the Richmond Community College Foundation Board, Community Care of North Carolina - Sandhills Board and Rockingham Rotary Club. He was a longtime board member of the United Way of Richmond County, a past chairman of the Richmond County Chamber of Commerce, past president of the Rockingham Rotary Club and a Paul Harris Fellow.

RichmondCC Foundation Board member Russell Bennett introduced Jackson at the Gala, describing him as a great leader and a great family man who has done much to support the community and the College.

Dr. Dale McInnis, president of RichmondCC, described Jackson as a “servant leader before it became a buzzword.”

“He serves his patients, his employees and our community,” McInnis said. “He has long supported our college and has been a true partner for education.”

A Fundraiser for RichmondCC Students

A spectacular night of food, cocktails, live music and dancing, the Anniversary Gala is an annual fundraiser for the Working Scholarship, which is awarded to working students whose income may disqualify them from receiving state and federal financial assistance.

Two students, Alvin Goins and Kimberly Sheppard, were invited to speak at the Gala and provide testimonies to how RichmondCC is helping them achieve their career goals.

Goins, who wants to be a substance abuse counselor, is double majoring in Social Services Support at RichmondCC and Sociology at the University of North Carolina-Pembroke. He hopes to complete his degree from RichmondCC in December.

An accounting major, Sheppard received the Academic Excellence Award for 2017. She will graduate from RichmondCC in May and will continue her accounting studies online at Gardner Webb University this fall. Currently, she is an administrative assistant for the Bobby E. Singletary, CPA, firm in Hamlet.