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1995
2000
2005
2010
2015
2020
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2001 Founded Action Facilities Management , Inc .
2008 Named WVE Young Gun
2008 Married husband , Kenneth
2009 Appointed to WVU Board of Governors
2017 Appointed to WV Higher Education Policy Commission
2020 Awarded U . S . SBA National Prime Contractor of the Year
2021 Inducted into WV Business Hall of Fame
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“ I left Norwest Financial when my mom became ill , and I needed to take care of her ,” she says . “ After she passed away , Kenneth Jackson , whom I met when I was working at the bank , hired me to help register his company as a federal contractor . Once I fell into the world of government contracting , I never left .”
Kenneth , who is now her husband , encouraged her to form AFM . Jackson set out to specifically provide the government and military with a low risk , high reward partner for their most challenging , high profile and critical facilities .
Based in Morgantown , WV , AFM specializes in self-performing integrated facilities solutions , including operations and maintenance , janitorial and sanitization , administrative and security services .
“ I give my son , Don Hill , so much credit — he was all in when I started AFM , even though he was still in high school , and today he is the driving force behind our business development and my CFO ,” she says .
In 2020 , AFM was named the National Prime Contractor of the Year by the U . S . Small Business Administration ( SBA ). Jackson has been awarded several other notable accolades , including West Virginia Minority Small Business of the Year Award by the U . S . SBA and Female Entrepreneur of the Year Award by the West Virginia Minority Business Administration .
Throughout her career , Jackson has taken on an industry dominated by men . As a Black woman , she frequently ran into customers who did not take
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her seriously at first .
“ Although that has changed somewhat , it really motivated me to overachieve and prove myself by doing more ,” she says . “ It ’ s also helped me be grateful for every success and have the confidence that I can handle whatever comes my way . I remain focused on my goal , and I continually look for ways to improve the bottom line for my company and make future plans .”
In the future , Jackson ’ s goal is to improve AFM ’ s footprint , both ecologically — potentially working with electric vehicles — and geographically , with hopes to expand the company internationally .
Jackson contributes to several different organizations that are working to improve the lives of West Virginians , especially ones that are geared toward basic necessities , such as education and health care . To her , giving back is just the right thing to do .
Jackson is a current West Virginia University Cancer Institute council member , United Bankshares director and a commissioner of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission . She also serves on the boards of Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield , West Virginia Regional Technology Park and Discover the Real West Virginia Foundation .
“ I love West Virginia ,” she says . “ Aside from growing up here , I truly believe it is one of the most beautiful states in the country and the people are among the most welcoming .” •
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