Phillip Jones
Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones
27th Mayor of Newport News, Virginia
Assumed office
January 1, 2023 (2023-01-01)[lower-alpha 1]
Preceded byMcKinley L. Price
Personal details
Born (1989-09-19) September 19, 1989
Political partyDemocratic
Domestic partner(s)Jamila Wynter, M.D.
Alma materUnited States Naval Academy, Harvard University
OccupationPolitician, Consultant, Marine
Websitehttps://www.nnva.gov/1012/Phillip-D-Jones-Mayor
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Marine Corps
Years of service2012 - 2018 (Active), 2018 - present (Reserves)
Rank Major

Phillip Damon Jones (born September 19, 1989) is an American politician and the current mayor of Newport News, Virginia.[2] He is the 27th and youngest directly elected mayor of the Virginia city.[3][lower-alpha 2]

Early life and Career

Jones was born on September 19, 1989, at Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan.[5] 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.[6] When Jones was a teenager, the family moved to Hampton Roads, Virginia. He graduated from Hampton Christian Academy in 2008.[7] Jones attended the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, on a vice presidential nomination.[8] In 2012, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in history and a commission in the United States Marine Corps.[9]

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.[10]

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.[11] After graduate school, Jones joined Bain & Company, focusing on social impact and public sector strategy.[12]

Political record

Jones was elected to office on Nov 8, 2022, winning with 40% of the vote over three members of the city council.[13]

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.[14]

2022 Newport News, Virginia, mayoral election[15]
Candidate Votes  %
Phillip Jones 19,441 40.29%
Saundra Cherry 7,868 16.31%
Dave Jenkins 11,637 24.12%
Tina Vick 9,055 18.77%
Total votes 48,001 100%

Mayor of Newport News

Mayor Phillip Jones and Joe Biden

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.[16] 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.[17] The shooting was the first school shooting of 2023 and prompted major discussions around gun control and violence in the United States.[18] (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.”[19]

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.[20]

Vice President Kamala Harris and Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones

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.[21]

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.[22] 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.[23]

“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.”[24]

Pronouncements

On June 1, 2023, Jones officially recognized June as Pride Month and announced the city's first Pride festival.[25]

Personal life

Jones is a member of the Omega Psi Phi (ΩΨΦ) fraternity. He is married to Jamila Wynter, M.D.[26]

Notes

  1. ↑ Jones' term officially began on January 1 although he was not sworn in until January 10.[1]
  2. ↑ Mayor Barry Duval was the youngest mayor of the Virginia City, but was made mayor by the City Council rather than an election.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones advocates for housing, transportation funding during White House visit". Daily Press. January 3, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Phillip Jones, Mayor". Newport News Virginia.gov. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  3. ↑ "Businessman Phillip Jones wins election for Newport News mayor". Daily Press. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  4. ↑ "High Profile: Barry E Duval". Daily Press. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  5. ↑ "MBA Profiles". Harvard Business School. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  6. ↑ Greenblatt, Alan. "Leadership Lessons from a 33-Year-Old Mayor". Governing.com. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  7. ↑ "Hampton Christian Academy Alumni". Hampton Christian Academy. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  8. ↑ "Phillip D. Jones, Mayor". Newport News.gov. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  9. ↑ "Commencement Speaker: The Honorable Phillip Jones". Virginia Peninsula Community College. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  10. ↑ "Recipient: (CAPT) PHILLIP JONES". Timothy T. Day Foundation. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  11. ↑ White, April. "Skydeck: "Solider On"". Harvard Business School. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  12. ↑ Janney, JOsh. "Mayor-elect Phillip Jones hopes to bring change, fresh perspective to Newport News". Daily Press. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  13. ↑ "Newport News' newly elected mayor speaks 1 day after election". WVEC. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  14. ↑ "Newport News' youngest elected mayor sworn in". WVEC. 10 January 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  15. ↑ "2022 Newport News City Mayor (At Large) - Regular General Results". Vpap.org. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  16. ↑ "Readout of White House Meeting with Newly-Elected Mayors". White House.Gov. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  17. ↑ Duajardin, Peter. "Teacher shot by 6-year-old student can sue school district, Newport News judge rules". The Virginia Pilot. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  18. ↑ Peterson, Beatrice. "Parents vent frustration at school board after 6-year-old shoots teacher in Newport News, Virginia". ABC News. ABC News. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  19. ↑ Kreps, Daniel. "Virginia Six-Year Old Shooting Teacher 'A Red Flag for the Country,' Mayor Says". Rolling Stone. Penske Media. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  20. ↑ Havich, Michelle. "27 U.S. mayors selected for seventh annual Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative". American City and County. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  21. ↑ 13News Now Staff. "Vice President Kamala Harris visits Hampton University". 13NewsNow. Retrieved 7 December 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  22. ↑ "U.S. Department of Energy Selects the High Performance Data Facility Lead". Energy.gov. Office of Science. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  23. ↑ Hafner, Katherine. "Newport News lab to lead $300M effort to centralize national science data". VPM.org. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  24. ↑ Janney, Josh. "Jefferson Lab and Newport News unveil plans for Applied Research Center". Virginia-Pilot.com. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  25. ↑ "NN mayor proclaims June as Pride Month; City to host first Pride festival". WTKR. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  26. ↑ "Engagement post". Instagram. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
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