The Downtown Jackson Rotary Club held its 70th annual presentation of the “Woman of the Year” Wednesday during its weekly meeting at First United Methodist Church.

Elaine Christian was honored with the “Woman of the Year” for 2022 for her years of commitment to the betterment of Jackson and Madison County. Christian has served on numerous boards, including the Jackson-Madison County Library Board; and is credited with founding the annual Books of Madison County fundraiser, which has brought much-needed dollars to the library for technology and furnishings. Her leadership of the Library Foundation has been instrumental in the resurgence of the library.

Christian most recently chaired the year-long Bicentennial celebration for Jackson and Madison County, which featured over 100 events and involved more than 400 volunteers. Through her leadership, there are now multiple permanent public art exhibits in downtown Jackson, including murals in City Hall and the Madison County Courthouse.

In other leadership roles, Christian has been involved in Boy Scouts, the Jackson Symphony, Jackson Arts Council, Jackson Service League, Jackson Rotary Club, and numerous others.  She is an original board member of the Kirkland Cancer Center, and is a graduate of Leadership Jackson, WestStar, Leadership Dyer County, and Leadership Memphis.  She served as senior vice president of the Jackson Chamber of Commerce during the 1990s.

A certified public accountant, Christian is an Obion County native. She has two sons, Trey Cleek (wife, Carolina) and Matt Cleek (wife, Lauren), and four grandchildren.

Christian follows the 2021 Rotary Club “Woman of the Year,” Kim Tedford, the regional director of the Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department, who was honored for her accomplishments in the healthcare industry and leadership from the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.