Pastor Dr. Donald R. Jones is a life-long resident of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. Dr. Jones was born to the late Thomas and Celestine Jones on June 6, 1959. He is a product of the Jefferson Parish public school system, he attended Live Oak Elementary School in Waggaman, Henry Ford Middle School in Westwego, and West Jefferson High School in Harvey, Louisiana.

 

Dr. Jones earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science in 1988 from Xavier University of Louisiana. Mr. Jones received his Bachelor of Theology in May of 1998 and went on to receive his Master of Theology in May 1999. On May 23, 2004 Pastor Jones was conferred his Doctor of Theology.

 

 

 

Dr. Jones is the Chief Executive Officer of Jones Insurance Agency, which he formed in 1986 and CEO/President of STEP Construction, LLC, formed in 2006. In 2012, Mr. Jones embarked on a new business venture. He founded a talk radio station, New Orleans Talk Network, LLC aimed at providing an alternative news media for the African-American community. 

 

 

 

 

In September 1989, Donald R. Jones became the first African-American to be appointed to the Jefferson Parish School Board, appointed by Federal District Judge Fredrick Heebe. Throughout his tenure on the school board, he was committed to ensuring that all Jefferson Parish children receive a quality education, and that administrators and teachers were held accountable to the students and their parents. He also sponsored legislation allocating funding for schools that he identified had suffered from benign neglect, and used his position to ensure equitable hiring and promotion policies of school personnel. He was the original author of the Pass and Play Bill, which required students to have a 2.0 Grade Point Average in order to participate in extracurricular activities.

 

In November 1991, Donald R. Jones marked another momentous moment in the history of Jefferson Parish La., when he became the first African-American to be elected to the Jefferson Parish Council. Once elected, Councilman Jones championed change. He immediately worked to create a political environment that allowed his constituents to receive a fair share of the goods and services available in Jefferson Parish.

 

Mr. Jones faced a unique challenge as the only African-American on the council; he was not only called upon to represent the interest of his district constituents, but also the many minorities throughout the region who seek his guidance and leadership. Nevertheless, he has aggressively faced the challenge. Re-elected by an overwhelming majority in 1995 and 1999, Mr. Jones continued to provide bold and innovative leadership as he addressed the diverse needs of his constituents and the needs of the Parish at large.