Meet RVAgreener Jovonni! She is an active community advocate for equity and the environment. In her free time, she likes to exercise by taking long walks, but recently she has noticed how there are no parks near her neighborhood. She realized that there was a lack of shade in certain areas with more minorities. This is why Jovonni is passionate about empowering underrepresented communities.

Jovonni wants to see more action on equity and environmental issues. She is hopeful about the RVAgreen 2050 plan - she understands that solving theses issues take a process and is glad to see the city addressing them. 

Jovonni’s second passion is gardening! Jovonni is the Builder and Garden Steward of Carmel Empowerment Community Garden in Historic Jackson Ward in downtown Richmond. Her passion comes from her father, who was a sharecropper. 

Jovonni is a member of the RVAgreen 2050 Racial Equity & Environmental Justice Roundtable and the Buildings & Energy Working Group.

Author: Brian Park, University of Richmond Bonner Scholar