City of Alexandria
Jaqueline N. Tucker, Alexandria's first Race and Social Equity Officer.
The first few weeks on the job have been a bit overwhelming — but in a good way, said Jaqueline Tucker from her new office at City Hall in Alexandria.
Tucker started earlier this month as the City of Alexandria’s first Race and Social Equity Officer, where she is charged with collaborating with City departments and employees, community members and other stakeholders to ensure all voices are heard in Alexandria.
She sees her job as both internal and external, she said Friday, and she sees herself working with city officials, city staff and residents. “I feel very strongly that you can’t make decisions for people without their input, and I think part of what this role is, is giving a voice to those who haven’t historically had one or it hasn’t been heard,” Tucker said.
Tucker is looking forward to some police ride-alongs as she learns more about the city and its neighborhoods, in addition to working with stakeholders and community groups as she starts conversations around racial and social equity in Alexandria.
“Plus, everybody here has been receptive and excited that I’m here — for some people this has been a long time coming,” she said. The City has had a cross-departmental equity group that has been meeting for a few years now, and she’s eager to start working with those stakeholders.
Recently, Tucker was East Region Project Manager for the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE), a national network of governments working to achieve racial equity and advance opportunities for all. The City of Alexandria joined GARE in February 2019. At GARE, Tucker developed relationships with government leaders and staff to analyze policies and practices through a racial equity lens.
Tucker also has experience in law (she attended Howard University for law school and worked as an analyist for Deloitte and Touche), and she was a middle school reading teacher in a school without a library in a critically underserved area of Houston, Texas.
Her other roles have been as a Freedom of Information ACT (FOIA) attorney with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a community organizer with Families Empowered, and an aide to several members of the U.S. Congress. She has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Butler University in Indianapolis.
“Jaqueline is an innovative, compassionate, inclusive leader,” said City Manager Mark Jinks late last year when city officials announced Tucker’s hiring. “Through her dedication to civic engagement, law and policy, and her experience working with all levels of government, she has demonstrated the mindset and skills integral to helping our community make progress toward meaningful equity.”
She’s also a huge college basketball fan and is looking forward to March Madness, she said. She’ll be rooting for Michigan State. Tucker is originally from Grand Rapids, and she has some family ties there, including an uncle who was a sports agent in Lansing.
When she’s not in the office, you may find her with her Labradoodle at a local dog park, reading or practicing yoga.
