Her Story
About Tequesta
Tequesta McKinneyJamea serves as a Civilian Unit Manager for the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office in West Palm Beach, Florida. In this role, she oversees the laundry operations of both the men's and women's correctional facilities, ensuring compliance with ACA standards and Florida Model Jail Standards while managing linen redistribution to meet the needs of nearly 4,000 inmates. With approximately 28 years of experience in corrections, McKinneyJamea is a certified field instructor, certified laundry manager, and certified grant writer. She earned her MBA from NOVA Southeastern University and her bachelor's degree in Public Administration in 2017. McKinneyJamea is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated and a founding member of the civilian union facilitated through the Police Benevolence Association, which she helped establish to support bargaining rights, benefits, and pay for civilian employees. Her most notable professional achievement is obtaining her MBA while working full time, serving her community through her sorority, and functioning on the board with the Police Benevolent Association. Outside of her professional duties, she volunteers extensively with mentoring young women and children through her sorority's youth organizations and organizes community drives such as bra drives and diaper drives for schools and families in need. McKinneyJamea attributes her success to her mother-in-law and grandmother, and she advises young women entering the field to come to the table well-credentialed with experience and knowledge to set themselves apart as assets.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Tequesta
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my mother-in-law and my grandmother. My grandmother was a janitor and a sharecropper who never graduated high school but pushed me and loved me unconditionally, dreaming big for me even when I didn't. My mother-in-law showed me it was possible by going back to school later in life while battling cancer, and she believed in me when I doubted myself.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was to take advantage of my company's tuition reimbursement. That was the single most valuable piece of advice because through their tuition assistance I was able to obtain my bachelor's and master's degree.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell them to come to the table with your arsenal loaded. Because it's not a field that many women enter. But you have to set yourself apart to make yourself an asset. I knew I had to be well-credentialed, have the experience and knowledge. So I took the time to pour into myself and come to the table as the sharpest knife possible.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges are keeping up with innovation and advancements, especially with AI and introducing technology into laundry operations. The learning curve with technology, training staff with equipment and technology overall has been one of the biggest hurdles.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My most important values are to always do the right thing no matter how difficult it is, because it saves you in the long run and acts like a safety net. Also kindness and humility, because sometimes we have to make difficult decisions and leading with kindness helps both people get through it. I always try to do the right thing even if no one's watching.
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