# @jacksonstateu on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DHwq0nGuABH
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/28519265-jacksonstateu-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/332c9505d3.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-03-28T22:52:14.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Jackson State U. (@JacksonStateU) — https://gondola.cc/JacksonStateU

## Caption

#WomensHistoryMonth: Gloria Tatum is a nationally respected environmental protection professional, strategist and scientist whose legacy spans more than five decades. Her career has helped shape Mississippi’s approach to environmental justice and community engagement. And, it all began at Jackson State University (JSU) where she was one of the original J-Settes.

A proud 1975 graduate, Tatum earned her bachelor’s degree in biology and helped launch the Alumni J-Sette Organization in 1978. That foundation in leadership, service and excellence would shape the rest of her journey.

She began her career as a lab technician at the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), where she advanced over 32 years to become the agency’s first Black and first female Division Chief. She led the Field Services Division, the largest in the agency, overseeing three regional offices, an emergency response office and a laboratory with 125 technical professionals. As the state’s first Environmental Justice Coordinator, Tatum developed and implemented Mississippi’s first Environmental Justice Strategy, ensuring communities of color and low-income areas had a voice in regulatory decisions.

After retiring from MDEQ in 2006, Tatum launched Tatum & Associates Environmental Consulting. Through her firm, she has led public engagement efforts on major environmental and infrastructure projects including the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, EPA Superfund sites, the Mississippi RESTORE Act and high-impact remediation and redevelopment efforts across Hattiesburg, Gulfport, Canton and Jackson. She has guided communities through landfill controversies and complex permitting disputes, providing residents with the scientific tools to advocate for themselves and come together in solidarity.

Tatum also helped broker Mississippi’s first signed Community Benefit Agreement, demonstrating her belief in collaborative power. Her expertise has led to service on national boards, including the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council, as well as dozens of local partnerships with faith-based and grassroots organizations. #JSUAlums

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- **Likes:** 536
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## Tags

jsualums, womenshistorymonth

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