Cassandra Jackson is an asset to City of Tallahassee

Cassandra Jackson

By Dorothy Inman-Johnson
Special to the Outlook

Cassandra Jackson, current Tallahassee Interim City Attorney who is currently seeking the permanent position, has been a resident of Tallahassee for 27 years and an outstanding legal professional. She was born in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1962 to Oscar Kellam (deceased) and Mary J. Kellam. She graduated valedictorian from Raines Senior High School in 1980. She is married to Jesse L. Jackson, former Executive Director of Florida High (FSU/DRS) and current Superintendent of Lake Wales Charter School System, for 32 years. They have three children who graduated from the Leon County Public School District. Cassandra received her B.S. degree in 1984 from Stetson University in Deland, Florida, graduating cum laude. She received her Juris Doctor Degree in 1986 from Stetson University, as well, graduating with honors. She lost no time in her preparation to begin the practice of law by being licensed and admitted to the Florida Bar in May 1987 and the Middle District of Florida in July 1987.

 
She started her professional career in St. Petersburg Florida in May 1987 as Assistant City Attorney, the same month and year she was admitted to the Florida Bar. She has had an impressive legal career that includes Assistant County Attorney for the Leon County Commission (1991-96), Commissioner on the Public Employees Relations Commission (1998-2002), Deputy General Counsel for the Florida Department of Management Services and Chief State Labor Counsel (2002-2003), Tallahassee Assistant City Attorney (2003-2010), Assistant City Attorney for the City of Lakeland before returning to the City of Tallahassee as Senior Assistant City Attorney, Deputy City Attorney, and now Interim City Attorney after the retirement of City Attorney Lew Shelley. She has been a member of the Florida Bar for over 30 years, and has an outstanding 20 year record as a local government attorney. She was admitted to practice in the 11th Federal Circuit in Atlanta Georgia in 1989 and in the Northern District of Florida in 1992. In 2015, she went through the rigorous process to receive the Municipal Attorney Certification that only 7 percent of Florida city attorneys have achieved.

 
Cassandra has been a volunteer with Legal Services of North Florida, the Hope Community, the Kearney Center, and Habitat for Humanity. She is a member of Leadership Tallahassee Class 35, and Meridian Woods Church of Christ for 27 years, where she serves as a member of the Children’s and Women’s Ministries. Her honors include induction into Phi Beta Kappa, Gamma Chapter of Florida, and the Florida Association of County Attorneys’ 1993 President’s Award. She is now, also, the Capital Outlook Newspaper’s Person of the Week.

 
Please send recommendations for Person of the Week to dotinman-johnson@hotmail.com.