Tomme’s Girl: Lessons on Living, Learning, Loving, and Leading Boldly is the story of Jeannette Mills’ journey from a childhood shaped by poverty, instability, fierce family bonds, and extraordinary women in West Baltimore to becoming a trailblazing executive, engineer, mentor, and leader.
Raised primarily by her mother, Thomasena “Tomme” Wilton, alongside the powerful influence of her grandmother, Mama, and Aunt Cookie, Jeannette learned early that leadership was not defined by a title. It was demonstrated through sacrifice, resilience, discipline, accountability, faith, resourcefulness, and an unwavering commitment to helping others move forward. Those lessons became the foundation for how she approached education, relationships, motherhood, career, loss, and leadership.
Through candid and often humorous storytelling, Jeannette reflects on growing up as one of “Tomme’s Girls,” navigating racism and economic hardship, becoming an electrical engineer, breaking barriers as a Black woman in corporate America, raising a family, caring for loved ones, grieving profound losses, and stepping into increasingly significant executive roles. Her experiences reveal both the cost and the power of ambition, responsibility, perseverance, and service.
At the center of the memoir is a deeply personal exploration of love and legacy. Jeannette shares the impact of her marriage to Dave, the life they built with their children, and the lessons his illness and death left behind. She also examines how grief, caregiving, career demands, and decades of being “always on” eventually taught her the importance of rest, self-care, and living with greater intention.
More than a career story, Tomme’s Girl is a leadership memoir about becoming. It shows how the people who raise us, challenge us, believe in us, disappoint us, love us, and leave us can shape the way we lead. Jeannette’s life demonstrates that bold leadership is not about dominance or position. It is about listening, showing up with presence, balancing compassion with accountability, empowering others, remaining authentic, and creating opportunities for people to grow.
Ultimately, Tomme’s Girl is a tribute to the women who raised Jeannette, the family and relationships that shaped her, and the enduring belief that success matters most when it becomes a pathway for someone else.
From West Baltimore to the executive suite, Jeannette’s story reminds readers that where you begin does not determine where you can go—and that some of the most powerful leadership lessons are learned long before anyone gives you the title of leader.