Phillip Jones (politician)

Phillip Damon Jones (born September 19, 1989) is an American politician and the current mayor of Newport News, Virginia. He is the 27th and youngest directly elected mayor of the Virginia city.

Early life and career

Jones was born on September 19, 1989, at Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan. His father, Daryl Jones, was an F-15 pilot, and his mother, Martha Stevenson-Jones was a KC-135 navigator in the United States Air Force. When Jones was a teenager, the family moved to Hampton Roads, Virginia. He graduated from Hampton Christian Academy in 2008. Jones attended the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, on a vice presidential nomination. In 2012, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in history and a commission in the United States Marine Corps.

Jones served six years as a Marine Corps infantry officer with 1st Battalion, 8th Marines. He currently serves as a Major in the United States Marine Corps Reserves.

After leaving the military, Jones attended Harvard University, receiving a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Master of Public Policy (MPP) from Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School.
After graduate school, Jones joined Bain & Company, focusing on social impact and public sector strategy.

Political record

Jones was elected to office on Nov 8, 2022, winning with 40% of the vote over three members of the city council.

During his election, he was endorsed by Governor Terry McAuliffe and State Senator Mamie Locke.
Prior to becoming mayor, Jones was a member of the Newport News Planning Commission for two years. He was sworn into office on January 10, 2023.

Mayor of Newport News

Prior to his official first day in office, Jones was invited to the White House as part of a bi-partisan group of newly elected mayors. There he met with President Joe Biden and members of the Biden-Harris Administration, including Secretary of Labor Martin J. Walsh, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge, and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.

Richneck Shooting

On January 6, 2023, a six-year-old student at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News shot his teacher, Abby Zwerner, while inside their classroom. The shooting was the first school shooting of 2023 and prompted major discussions around gun control and violence in the United States. (The shooting occurred four days before Jones was sworn in.) During a press conference updating reporters, Jones called the incident a “red flag for the country.”

Bloomberg Mayors Program

In July 2023, Jones was selected as one of 40 mayors from around the world and 27 United States Mayors for the seventh class of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative.

Vice Presidential Visit

Vice President Kamala Harris began her "Fight For Our Freedoms" college tour with a stop at Hampton University and was greeted at the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport by Jones.

Jefferson Lab Updates

During Jones' first year in office, the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, also known as Jefferson Lab, was chosen to manage a national project for centralizing research data. In collaboration with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, the High Performance Data Facility Hub will have its main infrastructure reside at Jefferson Lab.

“The city has been committed to supporting Jefferson Lab’s robust educational and scientific offerings since 1985,” Jones said at an event announcing the news. "We have directly invested more than $64 million to ensure Jefferson Lab’s success and growth.”

Pronouncements

On June 1, 2023, Jones officially recognized June as Pride Month and announced the city's first Pride festival.

Personal life

Jones is a member of the Omega Psi Phi (ΩΨΦ) fraternity. He is married to Jamila Wynter, M.D.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Phillip
1989 births
Living people
Mayors of Newport News, Virginia
United States Naval Academy alumni
Harvard Business School alumni
Harvard Kennedy School alumni
Virginia Democrats
African-American mayors in Virginia
21st-century Virginia politicians
21st-century mayors of populated places in the United States