With heart, grit, and grace, Zonzie McLaurin leads by feeling, seeing, listening, and connecting. She has lent these qualities to the Junior League of Jackson (JLJ) over the last seven years, taking on a variety of roles that ultimately guided her to the Board of Directors as Secretary in 2020.

Zonzie is passionate about developing the potential of women, improving her community, and building community legacies through JLJ. She serves on the Membership Council, the Tax Exemption Tax Force, the Board of Directors Covid-19 Advisory Group, and the Board of Directors Operations Focus Group.

As Co-Chair of the Women’s Leadership and Advocacy Series, Zonzie was part of an inaugural committee charged with the advancement of women in leadership. She spearheaded and hosted initiatives including She’s on Board, a board governance and training program for Mississippi women interested in board service; Ready to Run, a non- partisan campaign training program to encourage women to get involved in politics and public life; and the virtual Women’s Leadership Summit. For these efforts and many more, she received the Outstanding Community Service Award.

Zonzie’s talents for multitasking, communicating, generative thinking and high-level organization were instrumental in her role as a 2018-2019 Project Evaluation Chair. By taking the initiative to implement robust databases to help with organizing, tracking, and streamlining all data needed to evaluate community projects, among other endeavors, she was a key player in improving JLJ’s member and community partner experience.

These very same skills have driven Zonzie to excel in the field of healthcare. For the last 25 years, she has worked as a healthcare administrator, educator, and researcher at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, currently as Associate Director in the Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce. She has implemented major federally and legislatively- funded programs, research studies, and has been a faculty member at Belhaven University for the past 13 years.

Outside of the Junior League, Zonzie’s volunteer leadership positions include serving on multiple advisory boards and committees with the University of Mississippi Medical Center and the Hinds County School District.

She holds a Doctoral degree of Health Administration, from the University of Mississippi Medical Center, a Master of Public Health degree, from Walden University, and a Bachelor of Health Services Administration degree, from Baker University.