YOLANDA CASH JACKSON

SHAREHOLDER, BECKER, FORT LAUDERDALE

Florida Trend’s 2022 Floridian of the Year continues to work closely with her alma mater, the University of Florida, sharing her expertise about lobbying with law students and raising money for the John Lewis/HBCU Pathway to Law endowed scholarship she helped create for graduates from historically Black colleges and universities. Jackson, a prominent lawyer-lobbyist, grew up in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood and previously chaired the Beacon Council, Miami-Dade County’s economic development arm. She also led the effort to place a statue of educator, pioneer and activist Mary McLeod Bethune to represent Florida in the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall. Bethune’s is the first image of a Black person in the hall, replacing the image of a confederate general.

EDUCATION: University of Florida (BS, JD)

FIRST JOB: My first job was a gift wrapper at Jordan Marsh department store where I also served as a member of the Teen Board. I modeled clothes for the store.

DREAM ALTERNATE CAREER: A life coach. Much of what I do now involves mentoring and advising others. I believe that true success begins with deciding how you choose to show up in different spaces.

SOMETHING SURPRISING: I’m an avid family historian. My Ancestry.com account now includes over 3,500 names of family connections from around the world. I’ve located lost relatives and even helped reunite others. It has become a ministry of sorts. Ironically, this passion for family history led to my representing the Commonwealth of the Bahamas here in the United States.

MENTEE IMPACT: One of my mentees, who served as a special assistant to the vice president in the Biden Administration, often recalls my advice from his early days in Tallahassee: “Sit down and learn something!” I’ve always urged young people in politics to master their craft — not just network with elected officials. Knowing the rules and developing real expertise matters.