Dr. Etta D. Jackson has just published her PhD in Leadership and Change dissertation entitled, The Role of Geospatial Information and Effective Partnerships in the Implementation of the International Agenda for Sustainable Development. This dissertation research conducted in Manyatta A and B in the Port City of Kisumu, Kenya, demonstrates the role of participatory development planning and collaborative technology platforms of geographic information systems (GIS) and GeoDesign in strengthening sustainable development and enhancing human dignity. The study’s multi-method design comprised of participatory action research, situational analysis, problem tree analysis, and stakeholder analysis approaches in partnership with the government, academia, business, civil society, and other stakeholders shows how the newly formed government structure, post devolution, provides a functional framework to assist county and city governments to better determine and envision the future they want.
Etta worked in the field of education for twenty-five years as teacher, guidance counselor and district administrator in both New York and Wisconsin. Her passion for wanting to make a difference led her to the founding of The Institute for Conscious Global Change (ICGC), a 501(c)(3) international non-for-profit NGO organization in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations. She now serves as the CEO of the Institute.