March is Women’s History Month, and all month long, News4JAX is sharing the stories of local women who have inspired and educated future generations.
As we close out March, we’re highlighting women who have led the way locally in law, art, law enforcement and fashion.
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Melissa Nelson
State Attorney Melissa Nelson was first elected to the 4th Judicial District in 2016 when she defeated incumbent Angela Corey.
She was reelected in 2020 and 2024 without opposition.
During her time in office, Nelson has helped spearhead the Gun Violence Offender Court and “On High Alert,” a fentanyl awareness campaign that aims to increase education about the dangerous narcotic.
Prior to becoming state attorney, Nelson graduated from the University of Florida Law School and spent 12 years working for the 4th Judicial Circuit under Harry Shorstein and Angela Corey.
Ninah Cummer
Ninah May Holden Cummer was born in Indiana in 1875 and earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan in 1895.
She moved to Florida with her husband, Arthur Cummer, and they built a Tudor style home in 1903 on Riverside Avenue in Jacksonville. That property is now the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens.
The works Ninah Cummer collected by major artists became the nucleus of the current museum collection.
Cummer established the first Garden Club in Florida, and her devotion to her gardens helped her design what is now one of the most popular locations in Jacksonville: the Cummer Gardens.
Rhonda Peoples-Waters
Judge Rhonda Peoples-Waters is a former assistant public defender and earned her law degree from the University of Florida in 1999.
The longtime Jacksonville attorney served on the city of Jacksonville’s Ethics Commission.
She was a board member of the Jacksonville branch of the NAACP, a member of the Jacksonville Bar Association and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha.
Peoples-Waters made history in 2020 when she became the first Black woman elected judge in Duval County.
The victory came 11 years after her first attempt to become a Duval County judge.
Jennifer Michaux
St. Augustine Police Chief Jennifer Michaux moved to Jacksonville in 1992 while serving as a U.S. Navy aircrewman.
After receiving an honorable discharge, she began her career with the St. Augustine Police Department in 1995.
During her career with the department, Michaux has served in roles such as commander and sergeant.
She was promoted to police chief in 2021, making her the department’s first female chief.
Diana Eng
Diana Eng is a Chinese-American fashion designer born in Jacksonville.
She attended Stanton College Prep and then graduated with a BFA in Apparel Design from the Rhode Island School of Design.
She is probably best known for appearing as a contestant on the second season of Project Runway.
She has since written a book called “Fashion Geek” that is focused on teaching readers how to make electronic fashions.
Michelle Cook
Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook moved with her family to Clay County in the 1980s.
She attended Orange Park Middle School and Clay High School.
Cook joined the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office in the 90s and worked her way up to head of the Department of Patrol and Enforcement -- the second woman to do so since 1968.
Cook became chief of the Atlantic Beach Police Department in 2017 and is credited with writing the city of Atlantic Beach’s All-Hazard Response hurricane plan.
Cook retired from the ABPD in 2020 to run for Clay County sheriff. She beat out five other candidates in the primary to become the county’s first-ever woman sheriff.
Cook was re-elected to a second term this past November.
