Board Member & Secretary, Guns Down Gloves Up

LaTonya Jackson brings over 26 years of dedicated medical experience to her role as Board Member and Secretary of Guns Down Gloves Up, a conflict resolution initiative that resonates deeply with her personal journey and professional calling. As a proud mother of three adult children, she has built her life around nurturing and protecting others, both in her healthcare career and community service.

Her commitment to violence prevention stems from profound personal experience, having survived a domestic violence relationship that profoundly shaped her understanding of the importance of conflict resolution and community safety. This lived experience fuels her passionate advocacy for helping children and others stay safe while achieving their goals.

In her medical career, LaTonya serves as a Patient Care Associate (PCA) at the hospital while maintaining her certification as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). She specializes in outpatient surgeries and procedures, where she has developed exceptional skills in patient advocacy. Her medical background has proven invaluable to her leadership role at Guns Down Gloves Up, as she draws on her experience advocating for patients when others aren’t listening. She describes her approach as being an “active mental health advocate,” helping individuals cope with challenging circumstances, whether during hospital stays or while navigating difficult life situations.

Currently pursuing her Registered Nursing degree, LaTonya brings a unique combination of hands-on medical experience and deep compassion to her board position. Her work with patients facing serious conditions like liver disease and cancer has strengthened her ability to support individuals through their most challenging moments – a skill that translates directly to her conflict resolution work.

Through her dual roles in healthcare and violence prevention, LaTonya exemplifies how personal resilience, professional expertise, and community commitment can combine to create meaningful change in addressing violence and building safer communities.