About Us

CEO & Building A Better Community Director & VSF Board Member
Rev. Frank Jackson, Jr. brings over 40 years of distinguished experience in corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and community-led strategic planning. A graduate of the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture’s “Passing the Mantle” program and a Community Initiatives Affiliate at USC’s Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement, Rev. Jackson has dedicated his career to the intersection of faith, social justice, and economic empowerment.

Under his visionary leadership, VSF launched the E-Smart/E-Stewardship Pathway 2045 Initiative. This program serves as a national model for empowering faith-based and community organizations to achieve carbon neutrality and environmental justice. By providing specialized training in 501(c)(3) governance, energy education, and green career development, Rev. Jackson ensures that underserved communities are positioned as leaders in the clean energy transition rather than mere spectators.

Rev. Jackson’s expertise in energy policy and nonprofit management is supported by elite professional training and strategic affiliations. In 2022, he completed the Energy Innovation and Emerging Technologies Program at Stanford University’s Center for Professional Development. He further deepened his technical capacity by completing the Community Power Accelerator Learning Lab at the University of New Hampshire’s Carsey School of Public Policy—a U.S. Department of Energy initiative focused on community solar deployment.

A recognized authority in the sector, Rev. Jackson serves on Southern California Edison’s Clean Energy Access Working Group Committee. His tireless advocacy for energy sovereignty has earned him the industry’s highest honors, including:

- 2023 California Energy Commission’s Clean Energy Hall of Fame Champion Award

- 2024 Southern California Edison’s Clean Energy Champion Award

Through his unique blend of pastoral leadership and technical sophistication, Rev. Jackson continues to develop innovative, scalable solutions that accelerate the clean energy transition while ensuring equity and opportunity for the communities he serves.

President & RE+ Sustainability Director & VSF Board Member

Anita L. Jackson is the President and Co-Founder of Village Solutions Foundation (VSF), a faith-based community development corporation dedicated to economic equity and sustainable infrastructure. With over 20 years of experience in energy education and community outreach, Anita has established a distinguished track record of designing and implementing high-impact programs for low-income and historically underserved communities.

A visionary in community stabilization, Anita led the VSF Building A Better Community Seed Project from 2010 to 2013. This complex, multi-stakeholder initiative—executed in collaboration with Chase Bank, Wells Fargo, and CitiBank Mortgage—successfully acquired 105 properties through REO gifting and discounted sales programs. Under her leadership, these properties were rehabilitated and transitioned into the hands of low-to-moderate-income families, creating a scalable blueprint for urban revitalization.

As a licensed Real Estate Broker and a National Association of Realtors (NAR) Green Designee, Anita possesses a unique intersection of expertise in real estate finance, sustainability, and community-led development. Her sophisticated skills in financial analysis, project management, and strategic outreach make her a leading voice in the “Pathway 2045” initiative, where she oversees the integration of solar, battery storage, and EV infrastructure into community-owned assets.

Anita’s career is defined by her commitment to “E-Stewardship”, ensuring that the transition to a clean energy economy serves as a catalyst for local job creation, wealth preservation, and long-term community resilience.

Operations Lead – Del Aire Solar Resiliency Center Initiative & VSF Board Member

Dr. Jimmie M. Maggette serves as Operations Lead for Solar Resiliency Center Initiatives, a $2.2million solar, battery storage, and EV infrastructure project designed to establish a multi-day emergency resiliency hub in Hawthorne, California.

In this role, he oversees cross-sector coordination among engineering partners, solar installers, and resilience stakeholders, ensuring operational readiness, financial alignment, and implementation compliance. His responsibilities include capital strategy integration, infrastructure deployment oversight, community governance planning, and long-term sustainability modeling.

Dr. Maggette brings executive leadership experience in nonprofit governance, program development, and institutional operations. He has led complex initiatives involving budgeting, workforce integration, and multi-partner collaboration, with a focus on equity-centered community stabilization.

Under his operational leadership, the Solar Resiliency Center Initiative is positioned to deliver clean-energy resilience, emergency power continuity, and long-term climate infrastructure access to historically underserved communities

Strategic Planning & Faith-Based Initiatives & VSF Board Member

Josephine Maggette is a project strategist, philanthropist, Certified Professional Coach and licensed NLP practitioner with a passion for community development and sustainable impact. Operating through her nonprofit, she supports initiatives that advance access, education, and long-term empowerment for families and underserved populations.

Josephine brings a strategic, solutions-oriented lens to every project, helping programs move from concept to execution with clarity and accountability. Her work integrates leadership development, behavioral insight, and values-based stewardship, allowing her to collaborate effectively across public, private, and nonprofit sectors. She is deeply committed to initiatives that create both immediate benefit and generational change.

Fellow

Noor is a detail-oriented and mission-driven professional with a passion for sustainability, wellness, and community resilience. Owner of Chitin Consult, Noor joined Village Solutions Foundation in 2024 to bring strengths in project management, organization, technical support, and member engagement/volunteer management to VSF's partners interested in becoming resiliency centers. Noor is a seasoned program facilitator here to virtually support VSF and Del Aire Baptist Church to establish a resiliency center run by the community's own Green Team. In the past, Noor has previously led community garden programs and environmental educational initiatives at universities, municipalities, and small businesses. Noor holds a B.S. in Ecology from the University of North Texas.

Communication Director

Amber Jackson joined Village Solutions Foundation in 2023 and brings marketing leadership to her role with the organization. She is currently the Founder of Hype & Harvest, an eCommerce consultancy specializing in growth strategies for small and medium-sized businesses. She is a seasoned sales and marketing executive and previously held leadership roles at The Wonderful Company, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Disney. A long-time LA resident, Amber holds an M.B.A. from UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Faith-Based Civic & Community Engagement & VSF Board Member

Rev. Dr. Najuma Smith is a dynamic leader at the forefront of faith-based community development and civic engagement. As the Founding Pastor of Word of Encouragement Community Church and the Founder and CEO of the Southern California Community Empowerment Corporation, she has dedicated her life to building institutional capacity and social equity within urban centers.

Dr. Smith serves as the Assistant Director of the Center for Religion and Civic Culture (CRCC) and the Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement at the University of Southern California (USC). In this capacity, she bridges the gap between academic research and grassroots activism, training the next generation of faith leaders to become effective agents of social change. A sought-after speaker and thought leader, she is a frequent panelist on issues ranging from Women’s Empowerment and Sexual Violence Awareness to the evolving role of the Black Church in civic life.

A true multi-hyphenate, Dr. Smith is an accomplished author, business owner, radio host, and professional mentor. Her influence extends beyond the pulpit and the classroom into the digital and creative spaces where she leverages her platform to advocate for personal development and holistic wellness.

Beyond her professional accolades, Dr. Smith is a lover of music, dance, fitness, and global travel. She is the proud mother of Dorian, Zuri, and her beloved “Angel child,” Daniel. Driven by her mother’s life-changing advice—“You can do anything you set your mind to!”—Dr. Smith lives her life as a testament to the power of faith-driven action and the limitless potential of a committed heart.