Woman, and man of 2010 named

Two Irvington residents received commendations at the Feb. 23 meeting of the Irvington Municipal Council in Council Chambers of the Municipal Building on Civic Square.
Lenel D. Jackson received commendation by the council as Irvington’s 2010 African-American Woman of the Year, and Ismail Abdul-Wahid was commended as Irvington’s 2010 African-American Man of the Year.
Jackson, whose nomination was sponsored by Council Member Bilal Beasley and seconded by Council President John Sowell, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., and educated in Newark. She graduated from West Side High School and Girl’s Vocational School where she was licensed as a practical nurse. She also became certified to teach driving to disabled people in specially equipped cars.
Jackson has been employed by Newark City Hospital as both a nurse’s aide and a licensed practical nurse at the Willowbrook State School in New York as a charge nurse, at the A-1 Peck school as a driving instructor and for the Newark Board of Education as a driving instructor for disabled students. She has also worked as a chef at C’s Kuntry Kitchen and at African Gardens, and currently owns Lenel’s Kuntry Kitchen.
Jackson, who has lived in Irvington since 1974, has had a varied career as a local volunteer. She became a specialist in landlord-tenant relations through her work with the Irvington Tenants Organization, has worked on campaigns as an office manager, assisted with organizing seniors and helped to form block associations. She was involved with the opening of the East Ward Recreation Center and works with the Friends of Irvington Park.

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