Jackie with other Vanport flood evacuees in the basement of the Trinity Episcopal Church in 1948. (Oregon Historical Society, #1689-A)

Jackie Winters was born in the Dust Bowl of Depression-era Kansas and moved to Portland when her father came west for shipyard work during World War II.

She went from poor to homeless when the Vanport Flood of 1948 washed away everything the family had. But the family stayed together. Through hard work and persistence, Jackie became class president at Jefferson High School, and she tap-danced her way around the state as a member of Johnny Johnson’s teen entertainment troupe.

After high school came marriage and kids and a move to New York City. There she had an opportunity to work and develop office and accounting skills. Returning to Portland, she found that the only work was as domestic help or nurse’s aide. Racial prejudice kept her out of business school. But she persevered, was hired in medical records at Oregon Health Sciences University and was then able to pursue studies at what was to become Portland Community College.

Jackie became involved as a volunteer in neighborhood meetings under the old Model Cities program. A natural-born “people-person,” Jackie had found her niche. Her activities were so compelling, she was rewarded with a trip to San Francisco for leadership training. Governor Tom McCall took notice, and she moved into state program management. Governor Vic Atiyeh tapped her to be the Oregon Ombudsman —- the state’s top troubleshooter for citizen complaints.

In 1981 Jackie left state employment to open her restaurant, Jackie’s Ribs. What began as a business tribute to her mother’s love of barbecue has expanded into a successful family business. Her recipes have consistently won top prizes in regional cook-offs.

And Jackie has never stopped her community leadership. She chaired Salem’s first million dollar United Way campaign, and has twice been awarded Salem’s Distinguished Service Award. She originated Oregon’s first food share program, and helped establish the Oregon NW Black Pioneers Association that raises money for student scholarships. She has also served on the Salem-Keizer Blue Ribbon Committee for Excellence in Education, and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Oregon College of Education Foundation, now the Western Oregon University Foundation.