Ray A. Jones
Mr. Jones often affectionately referred to as the connector, has a distinguished record of achievement in the private, public and community sectors. He served as Chief Contract Negotiator- Chairman of the Cost Containment Committee- Director of Purchasing and Assistant Director of Materiel Management for Saint Anthony Medical Center (Now O.S.U. Hospital East) a 400 + bed facility. He became highly recognized for his extraordinary achievement in negotiating millions of dollars in annual savings and efficiencies through administration of the Medical Centers materiel and distribution system. In addition, he served in a consulting capacity to the Franciscan system’s national purchasing group. During that time, he successfully negotiated one of the largest vendor contract agreement on behalf of the Franciscan healthcare system resulting in millions of dollars in saving throughout their national healthcare system. Mr. Jones served as a consultant to Children’s Hospital of Columbus to providing best practice strategies to increase savings and operational efficiencies to the hospital’s Department of Materiel Management. In addition, he provided leadership support to Ohio Hospital Association (OHA) and served as a consulting Healthcare Executive to provide development and coordination to Member Products, Inc. (MemPro) a for-profit arm of OHA.
In that capacity, Mr. Jones worked with OHA’s Chief Executive Officer to create and market unique products and services that benefited its member hospitals. Also, he served as principal and Executive Vice President for M-Engineering, Inc. one of Ohio’s premier mechanical, electrical, structural, fire protection and telecommunication engineering consulting firms located in Central Ohio. Starting out with a team of approximately fifteen technical and administrative staff, the firm became recognized among the top 20 consulting firms in revenues earning by Business First in less than three years. Prior to that, Mr. Jones served as the Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for John E. Foster and Associates, Inc., a consulting civil engineering firm specializing in the planning and designing of roadways, bridges, building, airport infrastructures, sanitary storm project and water related projects. As a result of Mr. Jones’s efforts revenues increased and the company experienced tremendous growth during that time.
Also, Mr. Jones was voted by a member group of minority architects and engineers to serve as the Chairman of the Ohio Association of Minority Architects and Engineers. Mr. Jones’s public service includes serving as Special Assistant to the Ohio Treasurer of State. In this capacity, Mr. Jones assisted the treasurer by managing the Treasury’s Department of Research, Program Development and Constituent Services. In addition, he spearheaded development of the first comprehensive disaster relief and contingency plan for the office of the Treasury. He also served as Special Assistant to former Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell as the Secretary’s liaison to the constituency. During that time Mr. Jones forged public private partnerships to improve civic literacy and social responsibility among thousands of Ohio’s youth. He developed and created a booklet, which served as a guide for new citizens residing in Ohio, entitled Citizenship Matters. The booklet was translated into English, Spanish and Somali and received national recognition from the National Secretaries Association. Mr. Jones created and implemented a speakers bureau to educate and market the services offered by the Secretary of State and promote the Ohio Spirit Initiative. Mr. Jones has been published in areas of healthcare, business and politics, and is currently working on his book entitled, Going Beyond Your Expectations.
Mr. Jones’s international activities include serving as part of a five member international U.S. Delegation – He was invited to serve by Alianza Civica, an internationally recognized non-profit civil society organization. During that time he attended a series of pre-electoral meetings where he learned about the socio-political history of Oaxaca, the concerns of possible violence during the electoral process and a lack of integrity and moral authority in the political process. A report of the findings was developed and a press conference was held by the delegation in Mexico City which received international press coverage.
During the United States 2020 Presidential election, Mr. Jones led the largest Latin American Delegations to include a representative from the Caribbean in Ohio history to observe the election in battle ground State. Mr. Jones While in the private sector, after meeting with South African Ambassador Franklin Sonn, Mr. Jones became the first business leader in the country chosen by the Center for Health Education and Economic Research (C.H.E.E.R., Inc.) to assist in a U.S. initiative inspired by South African President Nelson Mandela to send $30 million dollars worth of books to South Africa. He has served as the adviser to the Somalia Community Association, which represents approximately 21,000 Somalian refugees. Mr. Jones founded and served as the senior adviser to the United African Women and Children’s Organization of Ohio, consisting of women representing various countries throughout the African continent. Mr. Jones served as a founder and Chairman of Nation Builder’s International Institute an organization that provided training in citizenship and civic engagement for newly arrived female refugees and immigrants living in the United States.
Community Service has been a hallmark of Mr. Jones’s life, starting at the grass roots level as a community organizer and involvement in political campaigns at the state and national level. His opinion is sought on numerous community related issues by business and political leaders. He was voted in as a member of the Near East Area Commission, of which he later served as Chairman. Working successfully with all community stakeholders, he represented Columbus’s near east side which began to experience tremendous growth. It is little known, when Columbus City Council was seeking ways to commemorate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the popular position by council members, prominent African American clergy and community activist was to rename East Long Street to Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard. With signage manufactured and ready to be installed, Mr. Jones demonstrated significant courage when he opposed the popular view of influential adversaries, including friends, in his quest to seek a more meaningful tribute to the late Dr. King.
Through his leadership, he garnered tremendous grass roots support in opposition to the popular position by convincing many within the community that they could do better to honor Dr. King legacy. In what became one of the city’s most emotionally charged and contentious citywide debates at a highly publicized council meeting; For a final vote on the matter, Mr. Jones urged for the creation of a committee which would include leaders from the business sector, faith based organizations, education, artist community and other neighborhood leaders to explore and develop something that would contribute to society in honor of the late Dr. King. As a result, the ideal of the street name change was defeated; a committee was established by the late council President Jerry Hammond; and the King Arts Complex was conceived and developed, now serving as a great tributes in honor of Dr. King. Also, as one of the original founders and president of the board of “Art For A Child’s Safe America Foundation.” Mr. Jones demonstrated his concern about the problem of violence in America taking the lives of more than 25,000 youth a year.
Along with internationally renowned public artist Stephen Canneto, he spearheaded the “Memorial to Our Lost Children,” a touring exhibit that combined art and education to create a unique strength based approach to mobilizing communities, families and individuals around the issue of violence prevention. This exhibit became recognized nationally as the most powerful educational tool through art to transform lives and reduce violence. Mr. Jones has service has also included the Board of Director of 360 Management, Inc. a leader in the development and management of affordable housing based in Ohio. Concerned about the 20 million + people in our society who live in poverty, he served as Chairman of the Board of Columbus Metropolitan Area Community Action Organization whose mission was to fight the war against poverty.
Strongly believing it is necessary to engage younger generations in the cause for transformational leadership, Mr. Jones was chosen by Rela (NxGen), formerly The Gathering, to serve as a Mentor to students in their new and unique leadership training program which seeks to facilitate inter-generational sharing and learning; promoting appreciation of the strengths all generations bring to the workplace and openly addressing the challenges of working together; and supporting the personal and professional development of Millennia’s, who are beginning to assume key leadership roles in the market and community to promote servant leadership.
In 2019, an award of excellence was established by community leaders in his honor. The award entitled, “Ray A. Jones Humanitarian Rights Advocate & Community Activist Award” to serve as his living legacy to be passed on annually. Mr. Jones’s dynamic community service continues through his service to the Associate Board of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Governor Mike DeWine’s Minority Health Working Group/task force to eliminate the Opioid epidemic as part of “Recovery Ohio”, Founder of RCAP a not-for-profit civic education organization and through his past service to Total Home Healthcare (Trustee), John XXIII Head Start (Trustee), Leadership Columbus (Trustee), Ohio Statewide Development Financing Corporation (Trustee), Ohio Business League (Advisory Committee to Ohio’s former Governor, The late George Voinovich) and the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce/Neighborhood Business Round Table Board. He has been recognized for his service as a recipient of the U.S. Department of Health Service Award, YWCA Eldon W. Ward Branch Man of the Year Award, Eastmoor High School Distinguished Alumni Award, National Political Congress of Black Women’s Man of Courage Award, Columbus’ Ten Most Outstanding Young Men Award and State of Ohio Outstanding Community Service Award.