Lieutenant Akilah Jenkins has been employed with the Irvington Police Department, Irvington, NJ for the past 22 years. She has been assigned to several units throughout the Irvington Police Department. However, the most rewarding was working at Irvington High School as a school resource officer and currently a lieutenant in charge of the Community Affairs Division.

Lieutenant Jenkins graduated from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.  She now has a 14-year-old daughter who she cherishes dearly. Her goal in life is to WOW my ancestors and pave the way for other women in law enforcement.  

As we say at Minding My Business, let the celebration continue, we present to you our next nominated Unsung (s)hero, Nakita Williams.  Nakita relocated to Georgia from Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2017. Nakita was raised in the foster care system and moved around consistently to various foster homes and group homes. As an adolescent, she had several traumatizing experiences. At an early age, she found safety and security in youth organizations. She participated in programs that allowed her to express herself and build her confidence. Nakita made a vow to herself to one day support to the youth in her community.

Nakita is currently the Site Director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta at Promise South location. She is the founder and CEO of POETIC SERVICES Inc a nonprofit organization providing mentoring services to youth. Nakita is also the CEO of Purpose Inspiration Coaching & Consulting, LLC where she specializes Life Coaching, Couples Coaching, and Business Consulting and services

Nakita is an award-winning Youth Advocate, mentor, and community leader. Her dedication to community development has also allowed her to be awarded the Community Leader Award as a token to her contribution to her community. She has a strong passion for youth development and strives to motivate and inspire the youth she encounters.

Nakita has over 15 years of experience working in the Human/ Social services field. She exhibits a broad knowledge in youth engagement and support as well as a proven commitment to ensuring the highest quality of services. The foundation of her success lies in her talent and passion for the youth and bringing real-world learning experiences to them. Nakita has had much success in implementing best practices for youth growth and development throughout her career at organizations including the Boys & Girls Club of America.

Nakita holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Bryant & Stratton College, Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy , Graduate Certificate in Counseling specializing in Contemporary Theory in Mental Health Services as well as a Graduate Certificate in counseling specializing in Contemporary Theory in Couple and Family systems from Capella University. Nakita was also nominated for Covington’s 40 an award bestowed up her for her community service to Newton County, GA for starting the 1st Boys and Girls Club there.

Nakita also served on various committees including the Youth Arts Initiative which focused on allocating resources funding Art Programs for youth. To prevent more youth from experiencing the traumatizing experiences that she had as a child, she served as an advocate with the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare and provided insight on policies and procedures that were recommended to be in place to protect children.  Nakita is a member of the National Honor Society for Leadership and Success.  She also is a member of the Chi Upsalon Chi chapter of Chi Sigma Iota  

Nakita has overcome many obstacles which makes her “relatable” to youth. These obstacles fuel her passion for youth development. She also lives by the quote ” I want to inspire people; I want someone to look at me and say, Because of you I didn’t give up.” This mindset has helped her become a pillar in the community.  Her Story is Our Story.