The South Suburban News Proudly Presents: The 2025 Black Women of Excellence

1BC
Written By Guest User
A headshot of Leah Armour. Leah has long dark braided hair and is smiling. Leah is wearing a orange patterned shirt with a necklace.

Leah M. Armour (she/her) is the Region 1-B-C (Cook South) Regional Administrative Support. Born and raised in Chicago, she resides in South Holland, Illinois. As a mother of two small children, Leah has personally navigated the challenges of accessing quality Early Childhood Education and Care, fueling her passion for advocacy and community engagement.

With over 10 years of experience working in education systems across the country, Leah has a proven track record in confidential correspondence, operations management, productivity, and performance management. In addition to her work with Birth to Five Illinois, she served as the Project Coordinator for First Ladies Health Initiative (FLHI), a faith-based nonprofit that provides free health screenings and outreach services to minority communities.

Leah is also the founder of Fit My Life, a fitness accountability platform designed to support women and mothers on their wellness journeys. She is pursuing a certificate in Project Management and is committed to using her expertise to foster collaboration, break down silos, and create lasting change in the communities she serves.

A headshot of Ashonti Jackson. Ashonti has long black curly hair and is wearing a burgundy sweater with a gold necklace and gold earrings.

Ashonti Jackson (she/her) is the Regional Council Manager for Region 1-B-C (Cook South). Ashonti comes with 10+years of experience working in the nonprofit sector. She is a proud HBCU alumni with a Bachelors of Science degree in Family and Consumer Science from Alabama A&M University. She is a member of the Latino Policy Forum 2024 MLA cohort and a member of the Willies Warriors 2024 Leadership Cohort with the Chicago Foundation for Women. Ashonti is skilled in building community collaborations and developing community outreach strategies that provide family supports, with a strong focus on marginalized communities.

Ashonti is an avid community organizer and has many years of volunteer experience and is a mother to one daughter. She was born and raised in south suburban Cook County, where she currently resides and sits as the steering chair for her community’s youth advisory board. Ashonti has seen firsthand the great possibilities that can develop from communities coming together.

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