Latresa Akins-Wells

Latresa began her service to her hometown community in 2012. She is a lifelong resident of Forest Park. She matriculated through all the Forest Park schools, attending Huie Elementary, Forest Park Middle School, and Forest Park High School. She is a proud mother of two children Jacquia and Jaquez, who are her pride and joy. She is married to Jacques Wells. Latresa has strong ties to the community, with most of her family residing here and her brother operating a barbershop on Jonesboro Rd. 

She is the first woman, first Black person to represent Ward 4, and the youngest person elected to office in the City of Forest Park. After being elected, her first order of business was helping to make some much needed and demanded improvements to Perkins Park.  During her tenure as Councilwoman, she has started Fun Fridays, a free community concert for the community that happens once a month, beginning in July and ending in November. She started the Forest Park Back to School Giveaway that distributes on average school supplies to almost 500 kids in the community. She restarted the local community day, Forest Park Day. She also spearhead and lead the charge to make Juneteenth a city-wide holiday and led the charge to have the first Martin Luther King Jr. parade in the community.  Councilwoman Akins- Wells prides herself in bringing quality resources and entertainment to the community while advocating for community policing and aiding in stimulating economic growth. There is not much more that she loves in life other than her family and her community. She bleeds Panther pride through and through.