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-It's an award that has been given out since 1946 to outstanding men from across Jackson.

Hello, I'm Peter Noll.

Straight ahead on Tennessee is Talking, for the firs.. WLJT is bringing the annual Jackson Man of the Year Award Ceremony to television.

You'll watch as Jackson's next Man of the Year is named.

Coming up next on Tennessee is Talking, on location, it starts right now.

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-West Tennessee PBS presents Tennessee is Talking, on location.

Let the conversation begin.

-Thank you for joining WLJT Channel 11 for this very special edition of Tennessee is Talking on location from the annual Jackson Man of the Year Award ceremony.

I'm Peter Noll, and we're at the DoubleTree Hotel in Jackson, where in just a few minutes, they will be naming the next Jackson Man of the Year.

For the first time ever, WLJT is bringing this to television.

It's an award that has been given since 1946.

The Jackson Exchange Club has hosted the event.

Here to tell us more about it is Melanie Luckey, past president of the Jackson Exchange Club.

Thank you for joining us.

-Thank you for coming tonight and having us on.

-We are so excited to be bringing this to TV for the first time.

Tell us about the history of this award.

-Yes, this is our 79th annual award for Jackson's Man of the Year.

It's a big deal every year.

We get nominations in from all over for Jackson.

It is picked by three separate people From different clubs in Jackson and a previous Man of the Year.

No one knows who the other judge is.

It's completely anonymous.

They decide the winner.

That's what we're announcing here tonight.

-How exciting.

Does the winner know that they're going to be getting the .. -No.

That's the fun part is once the announcement starts being made, it describes the person.

This person was from this area or whatever.

They slowly start realizing that's all about them.

That's the fun part is seeing that realization in their face.

-When you look back at the decades of the gentlemen who have gotten this distinguished award, what does that mean to the community?

-It just shows the excellence that Jackson has right here.

I think of Joe Exum who passed away recently.

He was an award winner many years ago.

Up until the very last year that he could come, he was coming in a wheelchair because it meant so much to him to come and represent the award itself and to cheer on the next Man of the Year.

-The Jackson Exchange Club hosts this.

How did the Jackson Exchange Club get involved?

-Well, it was actually part of another club that then handed it over to us years ago.

We've just kept up with the tradition and made that something that we definitely wanted to do every year.

Even during COVID, it delayed us a little, but we still awarded it each year.

-What does it mean to the Jackson Exchange Club?

-It's an honor for us to be able to host this many people and to be able to show our initiatives for Jackson, which is about the community and Americanism and the community service that this Man of the Year does.

-Is there anything that you want our viewers to know about the Jackson Man of the Year Award?

-Just know that they are always a great representation of Jackson.

When you hear who it is each year, you're just like, of course, who else?

-Just to let you know, I have been asked to nominate before, in previous years and this year.

We'll see.

Everyone's very excited.

Well, for the first time ever on television, let's watch as they name this year's Jackson Man of the Year.

-It's really an honor to be here tonight.

I think back a year ago, thinking that Ron Kirkland was going to be here and getting the award.

It enabled me to do something that was very touching, where all my life I've tried to show my parents that I'm trying to be a good son.

When I was working on my master's degree, I told my parents, and my dad goes, "So how much education do you need?"

and then was able to show him the diploma.

Worked and finished my doctorate, and I was proud to show him my diploma.

He said, "Son, how much education do you need?"

I wrote a book dedicated to them.

Wrote another one dedicated to my brother.

Then, it was such a wonderful thing because as dad was getting older and unable to do some things, I would go take him to church, take him to his favorite restaurant to eat, and then we would go home and either sit on the porch or whatever.

I remember one time we were sitting on the front porch, and we're rocking, looking at the cows and the farm, and dad said, "Son, what time are you leaving?"

I said, "Well, I can leave in 30 minutes."

He said, "Well, I've got stuff to do."

You're 90 years old, you can determine your own schedule, but one of the most touching things for me to do is to be able to take that plaque that's going to someone tonight, and to put it in the lap of my 90-year-old dad, not knowing that we had six months with him to try to show that I'm trying to be a good son.

He goes, "So the City of Jackson?"

Such a good man to have lost.

Now, I think about our city.

What a wonderful place that you and I have chosen to live.

Jackson is, I think, made a great place by the organizations that we have here.

I look at the people of Jackson have made this a wonderful place to live, because when it comes to places like the Carl Perkins Center, where the people of Jackson love and protect some of the most vulnerable people in our community.

Think about RIFA.

It does such a common thing of feeding people.

With RIFA, day in and day out, people are feeding the hungry of our city.

The most vulnerable, with that regard.

I think about the Dream Center.

A facility that takes care of women and their children.

Once again, some of the most vulnerable people, the people of Jackson and Madison County, take care of those.

It shows the character of those people.

Yesterday I was meeting with some city folks, some staff members for the city, and we were talking about Love Your Block.

It's a program done by the city where some of the best people in our community, who now are older, and where they took a lot of pride in their yard, and mowing their yard, they no longer could do that.

They used to be able to make minor repairs in their home, they were no longer able to do that.

Some of the best people.

They pay their taxes.

The police are never called to their home.

They mow their grass, and they're very proud of their neighborhood.

Here, where people, volunteers, working with the city, go mow the grass, plant some shrubs, plant some flowers, make some repairs, because our older generation are some of the most vulnerable people that we have.

You think about that.

Here we have a town, and a county, around 100,000 people.

I looked up, and we have some 450 nonprofits in our county alone.

The people of this city and this county with every one of those take care of the most vulnerable people.

Caring for the vulnerable, young, old, abused, hurting, lonely.

The people of Jackson and the people of Madison County make a difference and take care of the most vulnerable.

Just like this year's recipient, that's a vital part of what he does.

What a great city and what a great group of people.

Thank you.

[applause] -Well, we've been waiting for this announcement.

This is our Book of Golden Deeds written up for our winner tonight.

So many of you men in this room have served our community so well and loved your families and friends so well, and so we'll add another to the list tonight.

There are different criteria for the Jackson Exchange Club Man of the Year and I think you're going to find this person has hit the mark so many times over and we'll continue to watch that person do great things.

This exchange member was born on July 21st, 1948, in Asheville, South Carolina.

His parents are Edward Seeger Jackson Sr. and Margaret McCutcheon Jackson.

Siblings, Martha Lynn Deere and Susan Harwood, David Jackson, Sally Allen, and children, Jared Haywood Jackson, Ginny Elizabeth Jackson, and Edward Seeger Jackson III.

It was so touching reading these letters because-- and one of the first ones I picked up is how this person leads with courage and clarity and absolutely does that.

Just to give you a little background of what happened, some of the things that he has been doing.

He's a chairman of the Government Operations Corrections and Second Look Commission, named Paul Harris Fellow by Jackson Rotary Club, named Hospital Hero for exceptional work at the West Tennessee Healthcare, and named Friends of Lambuth nomad.

The Man of the Year hosts fundraisers for veterans and has raised more than $20,000 for their families.

He is an Eagle Scout, Vice President of Marketing for West Tennessee Boy Scouts, board member of the YMCA Kappa Sigma Fraternity, is a charter at community member, Montessori Gold Sponsor, 30th Annual Brigade and active in veterans fairs and now chairman of the Veterans Support Tennessee National Guard.

One of the most admirable, according to the person who submitted this letter, this year's Man of the Year voted for the expansion of mental health funding that has provided grants used by Madison County to expand mental health and transition services in the expanded Madison County Corrections Center.

He also supported to increase funding for alcohol and drug treatment through Aspell and JACOA and works to increase education funding for teachers in our schools.

Another letter from his pastor, Dr. Don Thrasher.

"I have watched the way he loves his family.

He is devoted to them.

To watch him with his children and wife and especially grandchildren is to watch a truly good man at work doing what we all as men should be doing.

Loving one's family in word and deed is a sign of the best strength in a man."

This is from former Mayor Jimmy Harris.

"I have worked closely with the Man of the Year for the past 10 years and he continues to serve as our state senator.

Through lobbying efforts on behalf of Jackson and Madison County, we have been able to obtain grants, needed programs, and solved many issues that would not have been possible without his help."

His daughter says, "I wholeheartedly recommend my dad for the Man of the Year.

When I was in the fifth grade, my class was asked to write a story on paper on their hero.

While other classmates wrote about presidents or sports figures, I wrote my paper about my dad.

That letter is still true to this day.

My hero, my dad, the leader."

From AJ Massey, Madison County Mayor, "One of the most significant contributions is his instrumental role in securing over $20 million in funding for the Jackson Regional Airport.

The investment has been transformational to our region, enhancing economic development, improving transportation, and ensuring long-term growth opportunities for Madison and the surrounding counties."

This is from the Chamber Executive Director, Kyle Spurgeon.

"I'm most proud to call Senator Jackson a friend to me and my entire fa..

He has always supported the efforts of the Greater Jackson Chamber.

Most recently, he has been very instrumental in finalizing the Great Wolf Lodges selection in Jackson for a new $250 million family resort."

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the 2025 Man of the Year, Mr. .. [applause] -Talking about surprised, I am totally, totally surprised and amazed.

Thank you.

Thank you for the Exchange Club for this huge, huge honor.

I was here for another friend that was supposed to get this.. [laughter] I drove in from Nashville today.

Anyway, I'm just super honored.

All my friends and my family, my sisters and brother and cousins and everybody that's here.

I'm just so surprised and thankful for this huge, huge honor.

Never expected anything like this.

I have a heart for helping people and I think that's what God, my Savior Jesus Christ, has blessed me to do, and I want to continue and I love what I do.

so many things have been said that I wish I could remember everything that was said and thank everybody who wrote these wonderful letters.

I certainly appreciate.

My family, my wife of 53 years in August.

[applause] She's an amazing lady.

She's Woman of the Year several years ago and certainly deserves that.

She deserves it every single year, in my opinion.

I'm so fortunate, so lucky to have the wife that I have, the family that I have, my sons, and my daughter, Ginny.

Where's Ginny?

There she is.

I've got a wonderful family and my grandchildren too, four grandchildren that I'm blessed with.

I guess probably the-- I don't know, I'm just lost at words.

Here I'm a politician.

I'm not a politician.

It was said I'm a public servant and that's the way I feel that I am.

I'm a public servant.

I want to give back.

I'll never forget talking to Bobby Carter, Senator Bobby Carter, he was not doing well.

He would go to the old country store almost every day and I'd go visit with him and then I'd go to his home and visit with Bobby because I knew I was going to run for this office, state senate.

I got a lot of advice from Senator Bobby Carter.

Talking about somebody that gave back and did so many good things for people was Senator Carter.

He had a huge heart and he wanted to give back.

I got a lot of insight from Senator Carter as to how I should work and how I should do my job.

I look around the room and people that I've worked with that we were able to raise a lot of money for veterans.

Jackie, Jackie's a classmate of mine.

I see other classmates here, Donna and Ann.

Just so many things that we've been able to do and still so much still left to do with the Carnegie, and what we're being able to do with the Carnegie and the Legends of Music Museum down there.

We've raised a lot of money to help that old building come back.

It's really, really giving back now.

Working with Steve and Jimmy Exum and others at the Carnegie has been something I've really, REALLY enjoyed doing.

Veterans.

I'm a proud veteran of the Tennessee Army Nati.. [applause] Our veterans are so near and dear to me.

What they give, they give their life for our country.

We are so fortunate to live in this country that we live in.

I want to do everything I can to help our veterans.

I've been vice chair and chairman of the Veterans Caucus in the legislature, which is, we try to do everything, make laws that will help our veterans and give back for wh.. for our country.

There's just so many other things I'd like to say, if I could remember everything.

I'm just looking around the room, church members that I go to church with.

We have a wonderful church.

I love our church members and our church and our pastor.

We just have a beautiful church that we go to.

My family and friends that I've grown up with.

Pam, my favorite niece.

[applause] She comes and testifies in committees that I'm on.

I always recognize her as Pam's my favorite niece.

Sister Susan, Martha Lynn.

Martha Lynn lives in North Carolina.

She experienced the hurricane and the devastation.

She lives just on the east side of Asheville.

She was fortunately not as involved as so many people over there were.

I was very concerned about her.

Sister Susan, she and I are very close.

Anyway, just my family's here.

Friend, Mitch Carter.

-[?]

longer than anybody else in the room.

[laughter] -I'm sorry.

She's the matriarch of the family.

Yes, ma'am.

[laughter] What did you say?

I'm sorry.

I didn't hear what you said.

Anyway, when I decided to run for the state senate, and I was with Jimmy Wallace.

I've known Jimmy my whole life.

My sister's there.

He's the same age as them.

He was over at our house a whole lot when I was growing up.

Anyway, I was with Jimmy one night.

We were in a bus that I had.

I was the driver.

He had to sit in the front seat because there weren't any seats in the back.

He said, "Ed, have you ever thought about running for political office?"

I said, "Well, I've always kept up with it.

It's always something that I've-- wouldn't mind doing something like that."

I was thinking with the county commissioner or school board or something like that.

I see Dr. King here, too.

Thank you for being here.

I said, "No, I have not."

He said, "What about state senate?

We need somebody to run for state senate."

I said, "Oh, I wasn't thinking like that level."

I went home and told Marilyn.

This is a true story.

I said, "Marilyn, you won't believe what Jimmy W.. She said, "What?"

"State senate."

She said, "Well, you told him no, didn't you?"

[laughter] She really did.

She really did say that.

We talked about it and prayed about it for a couple OF weeks.

I was shaving in the bathroom.

She said, "Ed, do you know what?"

She came in and said, "I think I'll vote for you."

I said, "Well, Marilyn, I thank you."

[laughter] She said, "Every woman ought to vote for her ex-husband."

[laughter] Anyway, it's been one of the best things I've ever done.

I worked for the tenant corporation for almost 30 years, retired from that, and was helping a friend and Jimmy asked me to do this.

Now this is the most rewarding job that I've ever had because I do things that I can help to give back.

That's what I do.

That's my mission in life until the day that God says, "I want you to come to me."

I'm just so honored to be able to do this and to have this honor.

I thank you.

Thank you, Exchange Club.

I was not expecting this even a little bit.

Thank you all very much.

It's great having everybody here.

I love you all.

I love my family being here.

This is a huge honor.

This is really the honor of my life, and I appreciate it very, very much.

Thank you.

[applause] -We're now joined with the Man of the Year, Senator Ed Jackson.

-Thank you, Peter.

-Congratulations.

-What a huge honor.

I appreciate it.

Thank you.

-How does it feel?

-Very surprised, very honored.

I think they're probably-- I don't know.

It just feels great, and I appreciate this huge honor.

-This is the first time that Channel 11 that's putting the Man of the Year, Jackson's Man of the Year, on TV.

What does this award mean to the community?

-I think to the community, it recognizes people who actually have given back and continue to give back.

That's my mission in my heart and what I think got me elected to the state senate, and I'm able to be able to do things, positive things, to help folks.

That's why I do this.

-Your whole family, all your friends, relatives were here.

What does that mean to you?

-I'm so honored to have the parents that I had and then the family that I grew up with.

I have three sisters and a brother, and we're very close, very tight, but we don't always see each other.

I haven't seen one of my sisters in over a year.

The other one probably about six months.

My youngest sister wasn't able to be here.

My brother just lives in Germantown.

It just means a lot that my family was here.

I forgot to thank my parents for the raising that we got as a big family.

-How did they get you here?

This is a big secret.

-That's right.

-How did they get you here?

-Well, my wife said, "Guess who's going to be Man of the Year?"

She said Steve Little.

I said, "Oh, well, I'm in session today, but I will cut it short and I'm able to do that.

I'll drive back home tonight and then drive-- I have an 8.30 committee meeting that I'm chairman of in the morning, so I have to be there at 8.30, bright, shiny, ready to go in the morning."

I didn't want to miss this to honor my friend, but it turned around the other way.

-It was you.

It was you.

I was surprised to see you here tonight because you're in sess.. -That's right.

-I'm watching you on C.. -Yes, we're right in the middle of it.

This is the busiest time of the year that we have while we are in session.

I was honored to be able to take away and be here tonight.

It just worked out.

-Well, again, congratulations from everyone at Channel 11.

-Thank you.

Thank you very much.

-We're excited to celebrate.

-I appreciate Channel 11, wh..

Thank you very much.

-You bet.

-Y'all broadcast us in session, that's huge, and I can't thank you enough for doing that.

We really appreciate it.

-We're excited to do it.

-Yes, thank you.

-It's an honor and a privilege.

-Yes, sir.

-Congratulations.

-Thank you, Peter.

-Well, that does it for this exciting television first, WLJT's Tennessee is Talking on location from this year's Jackson Man of the Year award ceremony.

We congratulate this year's winner, Senator Ed Jackson, and the Jackson Exchange Club for hosting this wonderful event.

Remember, you can watch this episode on demand on the PBS app, the West Tennessee PBS YouTube channel, and on our website, westtnpbs.org.

Keep the conversation going by following WLJT on social media.

I'm Peter Noll, and I thank you for joining us.

Until next time, keep on talking, Tennessee.

[music] -This program you've been watching was made possible through the generous financial support of West Tennessee PBS viewers like you.

Please visit westtnpbs.org and make a donation today so that we can continue to make local programs like this possible.

Thank you.

[music] It's all about home.