The Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) at the University of Illinois has recently filled a much needed, vacant position. We are excited to announce that Jonathan Jackson is PSEP’s new program assistant. Jonathan will be responsible for assisting PSEP with coordinating logistics for training and testing sessions, addressing client inquiries, managing registrations, maintaining publication inventory numbers, and assisting with numerous other professional support tasks and budgetary functions. These needs were previously executed by Jean Miles, who retired in the spring after being an essential part of the PSEP team for 28 years.
While Jonathan has been in the Urbana-Champaign area since 2012, he is a native of Chicago’s south side – the Roseland neighborhood. After graduating from Kenwood Academy, he continued his education at Eastern Illinois University, earning a bachelor’s degree in organizational development and leadership. From there, he worked at AT&T for 12 years, serving in various roles with installation, retail, management, and business sales.
Switching from cell phones to pesticide safety is a big change. When asked what interested him in the PSEP position, Jonathan indicated that he was looking for a career change into a role less focused on making sales and more centered on helping people. “I found this position interesting because of the importance of the information that PSEP disseminates, the size of the demographic that PSEP serves, and the amount of impact the training subsequently provides.” He added that he has particularly enjoyed the teamwork, collaboration, feedback, and openness to new ideas offered by fellow PSEP teammates.
While Jonathan has served in various roles during his career, he says, “the most rewarding part has been helping people and knowing that lasting relationships are created by the way you make people feel”. When you get to know Jonathan, it’s evident that he’s a people person and greatly enjoys helping however he can. It comes as no surprise that he has served as a mentor and volunteer for various local organizations. Additionally, he is an ordained pastor.
Self-described as a “big picture person”, he’s creative and constantly looks for ways to improve practices and procedures. While getting to know Jonathan, we have enjoyed his sense of humor and positivity. When asked if there was any other information that readers should know, he said, “Whether you think you can or you can’t… you’re right!”
Jonathan loves to travel and engage with his family. “I have been married to my lovely wife, Dr. Mykah Jackson (a UIUC alum), for twelve years, and she currently serves as the Director of College and Career Readiness for Champaign Unit 4 School District. I am the father of Damion (26), Nyima (22), Lauren (2), and two bonus children Robria (27) and Jada (21).” In his spare time, he plays video games, dabbles in making music, and fishes from the backyard. Jonathan enjoys grilling, and after hearing him describe the food, we are hopeful that he will feed the PSEP team sometime soon.
If you call PSEP to inquire about our trainings or study materials, please welcome Jonathan in his new role!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Michelle Wiesbrook provides subject matter expertise and training in pesticide safety with an emphasis on horticultural weed science. She serves as the Illinois Pesticide Review newsletter editor, collecting and organizing material; and co-coordinates social media information for the PSEP program and ensures its timely publication. Her other interests include herbicide injury and invasive species.