Campaign logo for Jarquitta for 20th Ward Alderwoman with a dark blue background, white text, and a red star in the letter Q.
Campaign logo for Jarquitta for 20th Ward Alderwoman with a dark blue background, white text, and a red star in the letter Q.
A woman with glasses and shoulder-length gray hair standing with arms crossed, smiling, wearing a blue and black striped sweater over a white collared shirt and brown pants, in front of a white wall.

Rooted Here.

Turning Advocacy Into Action.

Jarquetta Egeston is an Englewood native and longtime Woodlawn resident with more than 20 years of experience in education and community leadership.

She served as Executive Director of the South Side YMCA and now leads workforce development efforts connecting Chicagoans to training and family- sustaining careers.

She knows how to lead teams, manage budgets, raise resources, build partnerships, and turn advocacy into action.

Englewood is where her story began.

Jarquetta grew up in Englewood as part of a large, close-knit family, surrounded by her parents and siblings. Home wasn’t just the house they lived in- it was family, neighbors, and a community where people looked out for one another.

When her family was displaced from Englewood, Jarquetta learned firsthand what it means to lose not just a home, but your connection to the community you know and love. That experience has stayed with her and shaped how she thinks about housing, development, and neighborhood investment.

Jarquetta believes families shouldn’t have to leave their neighborhoods to see them improve. Longtime residents deserve a voice in what happens on their blocks, a seat at the table when decisions are made, and a real opportunity to benefit from the jobs, housing, businesses, and investment that development brings.

For Jarquetta, this is personal. It’s about making sure the families who helped build our communities have the opportunity to stay, grow, and thrive in them.

Row of historic residential buildings with brick and stone facades, bay windows, and small front yards along a sidewalk under a clear blue sky.

Woodlawn is home.

For more than 10 years, Jarquetta has called Woodlawn home. After leaving for college and beginning her career, she returned to Chicago determined to put down roots in a South Side neighborhood where she could be part of its growth and future.

That commitment has extended far beyond where she lives. Throughout her career in education, higher education, community development, and workforce development, Jarquetta has worked to create opportunities and strengthen communities across Chicago’s South Side. Her work has included supporting after-school programming and summer camps for young people, CPD National Night Out activities, financial wellness initiatives, physical wellness events, and programs connecting residents to education and family-sustaining careers.

Through her leadership at the University of Chicago, the South Side YMCA, and in workforce development, Jarquetta has seen what is possible when institutions, community organizations, businesses, and residents work together.

As a Woodlawn resident, Jarquetta has a personal stake in the community’s schools, housing, safety, businesses, and future. She believes neighborhood growth should benefit the people who already call it home—creating opportunities for families to thrive, supporting local businesses, connecting residents to good jobs, and ensuring that longtime residents have a voice in shaping what comes next.

A historic building with ornate architecture housing a bookstore, groceries, and a halal restaurant, with cars parked on the street.

Goals for the 20th Ward

  • STRONG SCHOOLS AND YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES

    Fight for the resources students need to thrive and expand safe spaces, mentoring, after school programs, and opportunities for young people.

  • JOBS AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

    Connect more residents with training, employers, and family sustaining careers.

  • STABLE HOMES AND RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT

    Help longtime residents stay and thrive, preserve neighborhood housing, support local businesses, and encourage investment without pushing neighbors out.

  • SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS AND BETTER CITY SERVICES

    Bring residents, community partners, and city departments together to solve problems and follow through until residents get answers.

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A woman with shoulder-length gray hair, glasses, and a bright smile, sitting at a table with her arms crossed, wearing a blue and black striped rugby shirt and a watch, with a background of plants.

“Turning advocacy into action means more than speaking up.

It means bringing people together, finding resources, getting the work done, and reporting back to residents.”

-Jarquetta Egeston

INVEST IN THE 20TH WARD.

Every contribution helps us knock on more doors, reach more neighbors, and build the organization needed to win.

Your investment will show up in the work.

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JOIN THE TEAM.

Help Jarquetta get on the ballot by volunteering your time and contributing your skills to the campaign.

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Friends, family, colleagues, and community members gathered at Parkway Social to hear more about her goals for the ward.

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