There’s hope in the opportunity to help reestablish my community’s sacred relationship with our water. Like many of us who have grown up in Mississippi, I share our history of organizing, resilience, and ensuring above all things that we look out for our people. In my new role as the Social Impact Strategist for JXN Water, I will embody that spirit in amplifying customer voice and leveraging opportunities for long-term community impact.  Over my career, I have worked to inspire systemic change and equity in local communities in Mississippi. That experience has shown me that centering equity in every effort towards improving communities is the most important aspect of our journey to continue having a reliable water system for our communities, neighborhoods, and schools for generations to come. That hope was inspired by my experiences working with and advocating for my community, especially as we overcame the despair of failing infrastructure. I recall a time during one of our city’s most intense moments in 2020, I worked with local community organizations who were on the frontlines while the system was failing. In the middle of the pandemic, local people in our community organized drive-thru events for residents to pick up water and food in public school parking lots. Schools closed across the city, yet coaches, teachers, students, principals, district leaders, and PTA moms volunteered their time and effort, even though they might not have had running water in their own homes. As I collaborated with volunteers at a local high school to get resources to families in the community, the need became more apparent. But so did our resilient and communal spirit. We have made it through the toughest moments together. Our journey continues. Since January 2023, I have worked with Ted Henifin, and in that experience, I understand his commitment to fixing Jackson’s water and sewer system. Due to the dire needs of our water and sewer infrastructure, I have also seen the limited time he has for everything else but this arduous mission. I am prepared and excited to step into this role to give the JXN Water team the community-facing and public education support they need to focus their efforts going forward. One of Ted’s favorite sayings is “I reserve the right to be smarter tomorrow.” With that motto, I know the JXN Water team will continue our mission of serving the residents of Jackson and creating a water system that supports water for all, all of the time. I am on this journey with you as a resident of this city and a customer of JXN Water.  I’ll work tirelessly for our community to be supported. The way forward includes rebuilding trust and re-envisioning how the water system will consistently support families and inspire the growth and development of entire communities. Aisha Carson was born and raised in Mississippi and brings more than a decade of community-based project execution, improving outcomes for distressed communities with a specific focus on racial equity. She’s an alumna of The University of Southern Mississippi and holds a master’s degree in public administration from Belhaven University. A Jackson resident for over a decade, you can find her at the weekend farmer’s market on Capitol Street, scavenging through vintage finds at local flea markets, digging in crates at local vinyl stores, or at her favorite coffee shop, Soule.