Jamillah Joy Medina Nova
Community Relations Coordinator, Springfield City Library: Age 35
Hers is a career built “at the intersection of public service, entrepreneurship, and community-centered storytelling.”
That’s how Ellen Williams, director of Community Engagement and Education at the Springfield-based nonprofit Learning for Better, summed up Jamillah Joy Medina Nova, as she nominated her for the 40 Under Forty award.
And she’s right on every score.
Indeed, as Community Relations coordinator at the Springfield City Library, Medina Nova leads marketing and community relations efforts that strengthen the library’s visibility, relevance, and partnerships across the city. She also supports outreach and relationship building across neighborhood events and community touch points, helping residents connect with library services and resources.
It’s a job that blends what she calls her ‘favorite things.’
“That includes community involvement, helping young people, and my marketing background, so it’s a perfect fit,” said Medina Nova, who joined the library staff in 2019 and has led initiatives such as the recent drive to secure 10,000 library card signups.
But she’s also an entrepreneur — the founder of LMN Creative, a marketing and branding consulting firm, and the owner of Jamillah Joy Designs, which provides graphic design services, especially to women-owned and BIPOC-owned small businesses.
With LMN Creative, she specializes in helping clients show up on social media — and generate revenue on those platforms.
“I have big plans for a studio in the future, but right now, I’m doing mostly consulting, working behind the scenes to help clients,” said Medina Nova, a graduate of EforAll’s cohort program and the Sphere Northampton’s accelerator program, adding that her portfolio includes several hair salons, wellness studios, and other small businesses.
All this means she’s quite busy, but she finds time to get involved in the community, especially with efforts to support young people, women, and the arts. She is co-troop leader with Girl Scouts of the USA and serves as a board member of the Drama Studio, supporting access to theater and arts education for area children and families. She also volunteers with agencies such as Girls Inc. of the Valley, the YWCA, and Give Kids the World Village.
She also enjoys spending time with her 4-year-old daughter, Luna, “the light of my life,” and serving as an inspiration to her and many others.
“I want to teach my daughter that there are many buckets that can be filled — you just have to appropriate your time properly,” she explained. “This is the city that raised me, so I want to give back in any way I can.”
—George O’Brien
