MLK Family Services Names Aieshya Jackson President, Welcomes Karon Forde

SPRINGFIELD — The board of directors of Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services has elected Aieshya Jackson as president, and the organization announced that Karon Forde has been appointed director of Youth Programs.

“We are so excited to have Aieshya leading our organization as her management and financial skills are critical for our continued growth,” said Patricia Bernard, vice president of Operations and Finances. “Bringing Karon to Springfield is also exciting and a real plus for the children we serve.”

Jackson is a business manager for the Springfield Library Department and has more than 15 years of financial-services experience. She is a graduate of Bay Path University, where she earned a master’s degree in healthcare management. She also attended the Connecticut School of Finance and Management.

Forde had served as the Community Center director for the Police Athletic League in Brooklyn, N.Y. She has more than seven years of experience working directly with youth as well as serving as an administrator of after-school programs. She earned a bachelor’s degree in values, ethics, and social action from Allegheny College.