Shanteny Jackson is the Executive Director of the Virginia Community Health Worker Association. She is a Bilingual Health Educator and a Certified Community Health Worker. Shanteny is a compassionate and collaborative community advocate who strives for equity and justice. These values were instilled in her while growing up in her native Costa Rica. In living by her values, she has initiated social and community projects for Southwood, a mostly Latinx community on Richmond Southside, and Broad Resource Centers. In 2021, Shanteny was nominated and recognized as “Persona de Poder” by Radio 1380 Poder. The Virginia Latino Advisory Board also awarded her the “Civic Engagement” award.

Shanteny continues to highlight the role of identity and representation in communities of color, particularly in the Latino diaspora. She explains this concept in her essay, “The Dream & Reality of an Afro-Latina,” which was featured in the 2021 collection of Richmond Racial Equity Essays. Shanteny holds a master’s degree in Counseling with a concentration in Addiction and Recovery from Liberty University and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations with minors in Spanish and Education from Mary Baldwin College.

Shanteny has diverse work experience, having held leadership roles in the non-profit, government, and private sectors. She worked for FeedMore as the Program Coordinator. During her tenure, she redesigned two specific programs that provided comprehensive food choices for individuals and families in need. Shanteny also served at Richmond Henrico Health District in Richmond, Virginia, during the height of the COVID-19 crisis. Her pioneering work is reflected in five dimensions of human life: outreach, navigation, education, advocacy, and relatability.