Jackson native Ashley Maddux grew up on Sandridge Drive in Eastover. Little did she know that she would be back and raising their four children in the Eastover neighborhood with her husband, Chris, who is from Hendersonville, a suburb of Nashville. Married now for 27 years, the couple met when Ashley’s sister, a classmate of Chris’s at Vanderbilt, introduced them. Chris was in his second year of law school and Ashley was working for First Union Bank in Nashville when they started dating. Since moving to Jackson in 2002, they knew Eastover was the place they wanted to raise their family. 

The Maddux family calls Lake Circle home and includes Christopher (20); John Ed (18); Mary Hollis (16); and Lucy (11). Their sons both attend Ole Miss, and the family enjoys getting to see them and their friends for home football games in Oxford (Hotty Toddy but they remain Vanderbilt fans!). Their daughters are similarly school oriented. Mary Hollis is a varsity cheerleader at Jackson Prep, and Lucy enjoys playing soccer, basketball and volleyball.  

When asked about living in Eastover, they replied, “We love having the opportunity to have many of our neighbors as close family friends.  Our children especially enjoy growing up here. We love the beautiful trees and taking walks and knowing who lives in those houses," Ashley said. "Also, we appreciate the many things we have done to bolster safety in the neighborhood, as well as the work of the Foundation to get the neighborhood together. The proximity to school, church and many other things is big plus.“

Community involvement is also important to the Maddux family. Chris is an attorney with Butler Snow and serves on the Board of Trustees at Jackson Prep, as well as the Greater Eastover Neighborhood Foundation and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. Ashley is a homemaker and volunteers extensively, especially with their church, First Baptist Jackson. 

Ashley and Chris are the event chairs for the 2026 Jackson Heart Ball. “We have had the privilege of seeing a number of our friends provide leadership for the Heart Ball and have attended many times. When we were asked to serve in this role to support an organization that does so much good for so many, we felt like it was our time to take a more active role this year.” They shared that Chris’s father has lived with atrial fibrillation (AFib) for much of his life, and “we have seen what modern cardiac care advances have been able to do for him." While not a family member, Charles Griffin was a dear friend and Chris’ law partner. "We were so fortunate to be at the Heart Ball the evening Charles was honored and told his story as the “Open Your Heart” honoree.”

Why the American Heart Association? “The Heart Association is a trusted organization that provides so many needed educational and awareness services in our state to promote the importance of heart health. We are grateful to have the opportunity to help support its mission.” 

Other Eastover residents volunteering with Ashley and Chris include Jim Blackwood, Drs. Amanda and Trey Clark, John Howie, and Laura and Tommy Stansell. All serve on the Executive Leadership Team. Liz and Art Spratlin and Mamie and Jet Hollingsworth have chaired the live auction for many years. 

The 2026 Jackson Heart Ball will be held on Saturday, February 28th at the Country Club of Jackson. The evening features a seated dinner, silent and live auctions, and an “Open Your Heart” appeal. This year’s honoree is Allen Tye, who survived an aortic dissection, and his wife Karla.  

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Mississippi has some of the greatest health disparities in the nation. The American Heart Association is working to improve the health of Mississippians by providing hospitals with CPR training kits, implementing Cardiac Emergency Response Plans in schools, providing blood pressure monitors and educational materials to community health clinics, supporting local food pantries, hosting an annual STEM Goes Red event for JPS middle school girls, funding local research, and more. The American Heart Association is deeply rooted in the Metro Jackson community, and this life-saving work would not be possible without the support of local donors. 

Find them on social media @AHAMississippi. To purchase Heart Ball tickets or to donate, scan the QR code or visit www.heart.org/jxnheartball. For more information, email Jordan Walker, Heart Ball Director, at jordan.walker@heart.org. Your support helps save lives!

Thanks to the wonderful Maddux family for letting us feature you this month! We love getting to know our Stroll Eastover neighbors better.