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The Jackson Awards were first given in 2006 to honor individuals in our community who exemplify the truest qualities of a leader. The awards are named after President Andrew Jackson, our city's namesake, and presented to individuals who have served as leaders in one of the following areas: The Arts, Education, Healthcare, Leadership, Volunteer Service, and Youth. The award recipients will be honored at The Foundation's annual Charity Gala on Saturday, November 11 at the Carl Perkins Civic Center in downtown Jackson.
Andrew Boks is a local artist, chef, advocate, and wellness coach. He serves as the Chair for the City of Jackson’s Public Art Commission, assisting the Mayor’s Office in the selection of the new city flag, designation of the Arts District in downtown Jackson, installation of temporary pop-up galleries, and the completion of murals. He volunteers with the Jackson Arts Council as a curator for its annual Arts Backstage event, is a member of the Arts Coalition Committee, and helps The Ned with various shows and galleries.
He has completed several murals throughout Jackson as avolunteer artist, including the mural at the Jackson Dog Park and the AreaRelief Ministries building. He is a previous board member for Downtown DogsGroup, Jackson Visual Art Association, and West Tennessee Artisan Trail.
Outside of his art career, Andrew has managed and developed restaurants in Dallas, Texas, worked in V.I.P. services for celebrity clients at luxury hotels, and served national clients, such as McDonald’s, Rent-A-Center, and Universal Studios, while working for one of the pioneer commercial producers’ service firms. Under the leadership of Robert Curlin, Owner and Executive Producer of Pinpoint Ideas and Solutions, Inc., Andrew was one of the producers for the documentary UNDOCUMENTED, which premiered at the USA Film Festival in 2010. He has previously enjoyed hair modeling, fashion design, dancing, and tennis, and he was the lead singer for a few punk rock bands.
Andrew enjoys collecting sunglasses with over 500 pairs in his current collection, listening to music, rehabbing his mid-century modern home, and spending time at home with his partner, Robert, and their twin long-haired chihuahuas.
Dr. Jeremy Tubbs is the Area Coordinator of Music and Entertainment at The University of Memphis, Lambuth Campus. He teaches music technology, performance practices, musicianship, music business, songwriting, and music history. He also provides academic advising to all Music and Entertainment majors on campus. Currently, he is the founder and president of the Jackson Area Music Society (J.A.M.S.).
Dr. Tubbs is the founder and COO of a global nonprofit called Willy Pete, a network of musicians, artists, teachers, and songwriters committed to sharing their talents and skills to encourage, equip, and entertain the American military community. Since 2011, they have reached over100,000 service members and their families.
In parallel, he is the guitarist and musical director for the multiple platinum songwriter, artist, and actress, Lauren Pritchard-Cobb, also known as LOLO. He is featured on LOLO’s albums “X” (2021), “Lauren”(2022), and “HOHO LOLO” (2022). All these albums have appeared on the iTunes Top 100.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in guitar performance, a master’s degree in music history, and a Ph.D. in Musicology. His dissertation was titled From Maestro to Mastro: The Life and Instruments of Mario Maccaferri. He has presented papers at Yale University, The University of Georgia, The University of South Dakota, and The University of Memphis and has publications worldwide. He has also studied at Oxford University in England and The Berklee College of Music in Boston and has the distinction of being an Oxford Scholar.
Dr. Tubbs is certified in Pro Tools, was awarded the Tennessee Music Awards Producer of the Year award in 2017, is a member and an advocate of NARAS (The Grammy Awards), the American Musicological Society, the American Musical Instrument Society, Popular Music Journal, and has won distinctions for urban service and arts advocacy in Memphis and West Tennessee.
Dr. Tubbs is married to Allison, and together, they have two children, London and Liam, and two adorable dogs, Maverick and Goose.
John Weston is an accomplished entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in healthcare, finance, insurance, and real estate. He is a native of Gary, Indiana and earned two bachelor's degrees at Ball State University. His professional career began in insurance, where he worked for Allstate Insurance Company and Charles Schwab & Co., earning several brokerage licenses, including his series 7, series 63, and life and health insurance licenses.
In 2004, John expanded his portfolio to include healthcare when he formed Capital City Residential Health Care, an agency providing quality in-home care to developmentally disabled and dually diagnosed individuals. After selling this division of Capital City in 2012, his continued desire to help people in the community led him to expand operations to Tennessee. In 2013, he founded Capitol City Residential Health Care Services(CCRHC-T) in West Tennessee.
As Chief Executive Officer of Capitol City Residential Health Care, John provides oversight of over 100 individuals with developmental disabilities. Under his leadership, Capitol City has become the “go to” a gencyfor individuals that experience challenges that prevent them from living successfully in the community.
John is a strong advocate for individuals who are dually diagnosed and was appointed President of the National Association for the Dually Diagnosed (TN-NAAD) in 2018. In this position, he leads a team of professionals to advance mental wellness for persons with developmental disabilities through the promotion of excellence in mental health care. He is a lifetime member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Chairman of the John H. Weston Jr. Foundation, and a volunteer for the University School of Jackson Finance Committee.
John is the proud father of a 19-year-old daughter and10-year-old son. In his free time, he enjoys golfing and cycling.
Young Kim is an innovative entrepreneur from Seoul, Korea with 37 years of dedication to supporting the Jackson community. He moved to Jackson in 1986 to pursue the American dream, opening a small business “Foto Express,” and introducing the first one-hour photo studio and lab concept.
Young continued to invest in Jackson, constructing three shopping centers throughout Jackson between 1992-1999 and opening the Jackson Bowling and Skating Family Center in 1995. As the founder and president for the Jackson Bowling Center, Young has welcomed people from around West Tennessee to enjoy activities at the center, such as miniature golf, go-karts, laser tag, skating, karaoke, and Jackson’s first virtual reality roller coaster. In September 2023, Young and the Jackson Bowling Center announced the first 7-Dinteractive motion theater in West Tennessee, providing another piece of entertainment for local families.
As a first-generation immigrant, Young has overcome many obstacles due to language and cultural barriers to lead his businesses. He is committed to developing a better Jackson and serves on the Community Foundation of West Tennessee Board of Trustees. To celebrate the 28thanniversary of the Jackson Bowling Center, Young donated $28,000 to seven nonprofits serving West Tennessee. This donation reflects his gratitude to the community for accepting him and supporting his businesses over the years.
Young is a former board member of Crime Stoppers of Jackson-Madison County, Jackson Arts Council, Greater Jackson Chamber, and Jackson Exchange Club. He was presented with an Excellence Award for outstanding support of Relay for Life and was awarded the Tennessee’s Outstanding Achievement Award in 1991 and the Golden Pin Award from the Bowling Proprietors Association of America in 2003.
Young has two children and enjoys building and exploring vacation properties on the coast in Florida.
Jackie Utley is an active volunteer for the veteran community of Jackson and works alongside several local organizations to engage citizens with Veterans Day programs and events. She is a Jackson native and graduate of Jackson High School and Union University.
Jackie serves as an Honorary Chapter Regent for the Jackson-Madison County Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). In this role, she organizes Jackson and Madison County annual Vietnam Veterans Day events, presents Certificates of Honor to veterans who have served the United States in any branch, conducts pinning ceremonies for Vietnam War veterans and surviving spouses, coordinates the area military ministry for the American Bible Society, and volunteers as the Jackson-Madison DAR chair for Wreaths Across America. In addition to her local work, she is the chair for the Tennessee State DAR Service for Veterans Committee, managing veterans’ events across the state.
She has been with the Veterans Day Committee since it was formed in 2013 and plans the Friday evening program and Saturday morning parade each year to present a free Veterans Day program for veterans and their families in Jackson. Jackie is also the chair of the West Tennessee Veterans Coalition, serving on Veterans in Crisis Fund, annual Military Ball Committee, Faces of Freedom Veterans Banner Committee, and the Veteran Memorial Coin project for Tennessee State Veterans Cemeteries.
Jackie goes beyond her volunteer efforts by working with funeral directors and attending funerals for unaccompanied veterans with no living relatives. During COVID, she coordinated with the Tennessee State Veterans Home in Humboldt to provide snacks, beverages, and birdseed for feeders outside each resident’s window.
Jackie has received several awards, including the 2020Jefferson Award, 2020 Vietnam War Commemoration Tennessee Volunteer of the Year, 2020 Vietnam War Commemoration Southeastern Division Volunteer of the Year, 2021 DAR Community Service Award, 2021 Tennessee State Outstanding DAR Service for Veterans Volunteer, 2021 Southeastern Division Outstanding DAR Service for Veterans Volunteer, and 2021 National Outstanding DAR Service for Veterans Volunteer.
Elvia Trejo Reyes is a second generation, bilingual Mexican American (Chicana) with a passion for making Jackson a better place for all its citizens by supporting inclusivity and neighborly bonds for everyone. She is currently the Volunteer in Service of America (VISTA) for the City of Jackson’s Love Your Block program, uniting city leaders and residents to improve local neighborhoods by awarding mini grants to residents and community partners.
The highlight of Elvia’s work is focused on empowering children, spreading Mexican culture, and creating opportunities for the region’s Latino community. During her time with the City of Jackson, she organized the inaugural Children’s Day Event, featuring artwork and live performances from children across the city. Elvia also coordinated the Mexican Consulate at City Hall to help Mexican American residents receive documents and other public services, allowing 236 Mexican-Jacksonians to be serviced.
Elvia was featured in Our Jackson Home’s June issue for her “Measure of Love” piece to showcase Mexican culture. She worked with Turntable Coffee Counter on the horchata latte for their summer menu to share her recipe, culture, and vision with the community.
She serves as the President for Thelma Barker Elementary School’s Parent Teacher Organization and volunteers on the Madison County Imagination Library Board. Elvia was named the October 2022 Hub City Hero by the City of Jackson, received an artist spotlight in October 2022 from the Jackson Arts Council, and was awarded the Jackson-Madison County School System MVP Award in May 2023.
Elvia is married to Nicolas Reyes and has three children, Leo, Leia, and Lorenzo. When she is not working or volunteering, she enjoys running, reading, knitting, and pottery.
The Jackson Awards were first given in 2006 to honor individuals in our community who exemplify the truest qualities of a leader. The awards are named after President Andrew Jackson, our city's namesake, and presented to individuals who have served as leaders in one of the following areas: The Arts, Education, Healthcare, Leadership, Volunteer Service, and Youth.
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100 Women Who Care: West Tennessee is accepting applications from local nonprofits for their first grant awards since relaunching in August. The deadline to apply for the grants is January 31, 2024.
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'Tis the season for giving, and we are sharing 6 reasons why you should make a gift during the hustle and bustle of the end of the year.
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Giving Tuesday is a worldwide movement dedicated to giving back and inspiring generosity. Learn about the different ways you can make an impact in our community on Giving Tuesday.
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