Azia Cimone has made downtown Jackson home for years, showing up for the City With Soul and organizing spaces long before she ever imagined a formal leadership role. That steady presence and commitment to place have now led her to the board of the Jackson Association of Neighborhoods, where she will help guide the organization’s work to strengthen neighborhoods across the city.

In Duttoville, a historic neighborhood nestled south of downtown between Highway 80, West and Gallatin streets, residents are working to restore a sense of pride and stability through cleanup efforts, property redevelopment and the formation of a formal neighborhood association.