Dr. Romona Jackson Jones

Biography

Dr. Romona Jackson Jones serves as the first African American Commission Chairman in the history of Douglas County, Georgia. Dr. Jones was elected to serve as Commission Chairman on November 8th, 2016, and re-elected for a second term on November 3rd, 2020. She is the daughter of Mattie Howell Jackson and the late Johnnie L. Jackson Jr. of Memphis, Tennessee. Shortly after graduating from Hamilton High School in Memphis, Dr. Jones followed in the footsteps of her father, a Korean War Paratrooper, by joining the U. S. Army for three years. She married a U. S. Marine and is officially retired as a former spouse of 19 years. Dr. Jones earned a bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University, a master’s degree from Chapman University, and a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership (Higher Education) from Argosy University.

Career

Dr. Jones worked in the healthcare industry for 40 years, of which 31 years involved:

Leadership
Master Facility Planning
Multimillion-Dollar Budget Oversight
Operations Management
Personnel
Policy Development
Process Improvement
Strategic Planning

She has worked in federal, state, and local government, private, non-profit, and for-profit organizations. She was among the first Civil Service employees in the Nation to coordinate and direct a federally regulated environmental program for the U.S. Navy. She has led several multi-million-dollar master facility planning and execution projects for healthcare organizations throughout the United States.

Role in Office

Dr. Jones is a visionary leader and business owners and colleagues alike have quickly given her well-earned respect. Dr. Jones's ventures helped secure $3.3 billion in investments within her first year in office. She added to the pecuniary mix when she welcomed a global technology company called "Switch". This $2.5 billion investment sets the mark as the most significant single capital investment in Georgia’s history.

Dr. Jones is named among the 100 most Influential Women in Georgia Engineering for making Georgia a better place to live, work and play. Through her notable achievements, she’s made significant contributions towards mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in Douglas County. Dr. Jones received the 2022 Fred Agel Award at the 92^nd Annual Conference presented by the Georgia Public Health Association for outstanding commitment and service promoting public health. The National Coalition of 100 Black Women-Northwest Chapter, made Dr. Jones the recipient of the 2022 Public Policy Award, for her outstanding work as the Chairwoman for the Douglas County Board of Commissioners at the 9^th Annual Women of Impact Awards Celebration.

As Chairman of the Douglas County Board of Commissioners, Dr. Jones oversees and is responsible for a $181 million-dollar budget. Under Dr. Jones's leadership, Douglas County has gained a record-breaking amount of economic development investments totaling $4.8 billion dollars with continued growth in Douglas County. Dr. Jones serves as Chairman of the BOC Finance, Purchasing Oversight, Fire/EMS, Public Safety, Tax Abatement Compliance and Beautification Committees.

Areas of Focus

Dr. Jones is focusing on many issues with attention on:

Economic Development
Housing Growth
Mental Health
Public Engagement
Public Health
Public Safety
Road Enhancements
Beautification
Transparency
Transportation
Workforce Development
Seniors/Youth

Six E’s

Dr. Jones 6 E’s for excellence in County Governance addresses:

Economic growth and vitality
Efficient organization performance
Environmental stewardship
Best practice public safety/ well-being
Diverse cultural and recreational opportunities
Unification for all citizens of Douglas County

Family

Dr. Jones is the extremely proud mother of Shannon Nicole Jones, a Douglas County School System teacher who works at Douglas County High School instructing:

11th-grade literature
American literature
Head cheerleading coach
Honors 11th grade literature
Public speaking

Awards, Recognitions, & Memberships

American Legion Post 145
American Legion Post 145 "Legionnaire of the Year", 2014
American Legion Post 145 Past Public Relations Director
AMVETS Post 118
Atlanta Regional Commission Board Officer - Secretary/Chairman of Ethics
Atlanta Regional Commission Co-Chairman - Senior and Aging Committee
Board Member, Atlanta Regional Commission
Board Member, Douglas County United Way
Board Member, Douglasville Community Outreach
Board of Director, Vice Chairman Community Service Board
Board of Director, Douglas County Board of Health
Board of Director, Douglasville/Douglas County Economic Development
Board of Director, Douglasville/Douglas County Water, and Sewer Authority
Carl Vinson Institute of Government, Certified County Commissioner
Chairman’s Club, Douglas County Chamber
Douglas County Care Place Organizational Team
Douglas County Democratic Party Member
Douglas County Democratic Party Past Treasurer
Douglas County Democratic Women Member
Douglasville Community Outreach
Military Service Honoree, Women’s Empowerment Day, 2014
National Association Female Executives
National Association of Counties-Health Steering Subcommittee Vice Chair
President’s Volunteer Service Lifetime Achievement Award
Servant Leadership Award, Georgia State Women’s Legislative Caucus, 2014
State of Georgia Outstanding Citizen Award
Women’s Army Corps Veteran Association

’Clearly’

’Clearly’ is a monthly look into Douglas County’s people, places and departments with Chairman Dr. Romona Jackson Jones.

Dr. Romona Jackson Jones

Commission Chairman