She Did What?! Alethia Jackson, VP of Government Relations at Walgreens

This is a platform to share the radical pivots, risks and experiments of people I admire. We dig into the moments that led the people in their lives to go, “She Did What?!” and ultimately, to their personal or professional metamorphosis.

Alethia Jackson is a seasoned corporate executive, global retail and health policy expert and leader who I am proud to call a friend. With over 20 years of experience in strategic planning, communications, government relations and partnership-building, she is nothing short of a force. Alethia currently serves as Vice President of Government Relations at Walgreens, but over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, she has taken on a new role: chairing Walgreens’ vaccine equity task force. In that capacity, she’s spearheading Walgreens’ efforts to expand vaccine access in underserved communities. 

How did she decide to take on vaccine equity and run point on the taskforce? In her own words, Alethia says: 

In my traditional role at Walgreens, I serve as Vice President of Government Relations, where my usual work is to try and expand access to pharmacy services. Then pandemic struck, and Walgreens was and is right in the middle of efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19. At first that was about helping to make sure patients continued to have access to their medications and other needs as states went into lockdowns, and that role has evolved into playing a key role in COVID-19 testing and administering vaccinations, particularly to underserved communities. 

As a company, we really had to be all hands on deck, and so when I thought about our work and the role we could play, I thought about where I could lend my voice and experience. In thinking through how I could contribute to Walgreens’ efforts to fight the spread of COVID-19, I thought about my strengths, my passions and where I could make the biggest impact. I quickly realized that as a company we could play a unique role in ensuring more equitable vaccine access.

What immediately resonated with me about Alethia’s approach to her role during the pandemic is that she started with self-evaluation. She took the time to think through her strengths and her passions and how she could bring both of those to Walgreens’ approach to COVID-19. When the call came for all hands on deck, she didn’t just continue to do what she’d always done. She analyzed the situation and proposed a solution that not only allowed her to personally make the biggest impact but that allowed Walgreens to make the biggest impact in the communities they serve.

When I first started charting my career and looking for organizations that would allow and align with my moral compass of providing services, I realized that one of my biggest passions was addressing health disparities, to ensure that people have a voice. That’s exactly what we’re doing with our vaccine equity work, ensuring that every American has access to their COVID-19 vaccine, and we’re doing that by meeting people where they are. 

When I started my career in healthcare, healthcare wasn’t a kitchen-table discussion. The industry was not talking as much about how the healthcare system affects individual people. Instead it was about how to treat a specific illness or to cover the cost for a payment code. Now, we’re building partnerships across the country to provide hyper-localized vaccines in place of worship, onsite at work places, in community centers and more. We’re bringing the vaccine to trusted community gathering places within underserved communities because we understand that healthcare is personal. 

I think what Alethia says here about finding a career that follows her passion of ensuring people have a voice is so important. She figured out what she cares about and combined that knowledge with her unique skill set to create incredible impact. That’s the kind of self-awareness we all need to succeed.

Since the beginning of my career, I’ve learned to own the power that we each possess. I ask myself, “What else can I bring to the table?” and “Who am I at this moment, and am I showing up authentically?” I’m fascinated by work cultures that thrive on growth, innovation and evolution and work to bring that energy into my mindset and professional practice. Tech startups for example, fail fast and then move on to try something else. You have to constantly retool and adjust your tactics to your various target audiences, and I think of my work in a similar way, forcing myself to continue to evolve and explore how I can incorporate out of the box ideas and tools into my work. 

I consciously seek inspiration from other industries like tech, the creative arts or political campaigns, never allowing myself to feel stagnant. I complement that reading and exploration by intentionally surrounding myself with a diverse tribe who always teach me something when we are together, and I hope I do the same for them. We challenge each other and encourage each other as we become our best selves. 

I think at times people might think, “Okay, she is in government relations. How is vaccine equity part of her work?”, or maybe, “How did she come up with that idea?” The answer is simple: I build partnerships, I seek out new ideas, and I’ve always built my career around addressing needs in our healthcare system, including health disparities. The through line is there if you look for it.

What’s your through line? Tell us in the comments!

***

Have any feedback or ideas for what you'd like to see included? Reach out to me on LinkedIn.

Don’t forget to follow both Alethia and myself on LinkedIn and Instagram! 

Ashley’s LinkedIn and Instagram | Alethia’s LinkedIn and Instagram