Ella Jones (born 1955) is an American chromatographer, pastor, and politician who serves as the 12th mayor of Ferguson, Missouri. A former member of the Ferguson City Council, Jones is the first African-American and woman elected mayor of the city.[1][2]
Ella Jones | |
|---|---|
| 12th Mayor of Ferguson | |
| Assumed office June 17, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | James Knowles III |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | University of Missouri–St. Louis (BA) |
Education edit
Jones earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry from the University of Missouri–St. Louis.
Career edit
Prior to entering politics, Jones was a high pressure liquid chromatographer. She worked at the Washington University School of Medicine and KV Pharmaceutical before becoming a sales director with Mary Kay. In April 2015, Jones was the first African-American elected to the Ferguson City Council, where she represented the city's first ward.[3] In February 2020, Jones was selected to serve on the United States Environmental Protection Agency Local Government Advisory Committee.[4]
In the 2017 municipal election, Jones ran for mayor, receiving 42.77% of the vote. It was the city's first election after the shooting of Michael Brown and subsequent Ferguson unrest.[5]
In the June 2, 2020 mayoral election, Jones defeated fellow council member Heather Robinett. Jones succeeded incumbent James Knowles III, a Republican who was unable to seek re-election due to term limits.[6][7] On June 17, 2020, Jones was sworn in as the first black and female mayor of Ferguson.[8][9]
She is also a pastor in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.[2]
Electoral history edit
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ella Jones | 1,504 | 53.9% | |
| Democratic | Heather Robinett | 1,286 | 46.1% | |
Personal life edit
Jones moved to Ferguson, Missouri with her husband, Tim. Tim Jones died in 2013.[11] Jones has one daughter.[2]
References edit
- ^ Rose, Andy (3 June 2020). "Ferguson elects first black mayor in city's history". CNN. Retrieved 2020-06-03.
- ^ a b c Medina, Jennifer (2020-06-03). "Ella Jones Is Elected First Black Mayor of Ferguson". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-06-03.
- ^ "About us – Ella Jones for Mayor of Ferguson". Retrieved 2020-06-03.
- ^ "EPA Administrator Appoints Ferguson, Missouri, City Council Member Ella M. Jones to EPA Local Government Advisory Committee on Small Community Subcommittee". US EPA. 2020-02-25. Retrieved 2020-06-03.
- ^ "St. Louis County, Missouri". Archived from the original on 2017-04-05.
- ^ Schlinkmann, Mark (3 June 2020). "Ella Jones becomes the first African American and first woman elected mayor of Ferguson". STLtoday.com. Retrieved 2020-06-03.
- ^ "Ferguson elects its first black and first woman mayor". www.cbsnews.com. 3 June 2020. Retrieved 2020-06-03.
- ^ Zotos, Alexis (June 17, 2020). "Ella Jones sworn in as first Black woman mayor of Ferguson". KMOV4. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ Rosenbaum, Jason. "Ferguson Elects Its First African American Mayor". news.stlpublicradio.org. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
- ^ Ferguson 2020 Mayoral Election
- ^ Ruiz, Michelle (July 2020). "Ferguson Mayor Ella Jones on Making History and the Power of Black Female Leaders". Vogue. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
External links edit
- Ella Jones for Mayor campaign website
- Ella Jones Archived 2020-06-03 at the Wayback Machine biography on the City of Ferguson, Missouri website