Contact:
Theresa Fraley
313.961.6675
tfraley@cfsem.org
For Immediate Release:
June 21, 2010
In his role with NEI, Jones will primarily be helping the NEI team in its efforts to build opportunities for entrepreneurs in the region.
Prior to joining the Community Foundation in his role with NEI, Jones was the director of resource development at the Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency (OLHSA) a Community Action Agency located in Pontiac, Michigan. At OLHSA, he oversaw asset development programs including Individual Development Account (IDA), Earned Income Tax Credit tax preparation programs, financial education programs and a national experimental initiative to set up college savings accounts for Head Start children, SEED.
He was also the president and chief operating officer of OLHSA’s Community Development Corporation (CDC) Venture, Inc. Venture, in cooperation with OLHSA, builds new homes, renovates existing homes and provides housing counseling and related support services. Venture also provides quality rental housing using Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC).
In March 2009, Jones was appointed by Michigan Governor Granholm to the Commission on Community Action and Economic Opportunity. He has also served on the boards of the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM) and The Heat and Warmth Fund (THAW).
About the New Economy Initiative
The New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan (NEI) is an innovative philanthropic effort to accelerate the transition of metro Detroit to an innovation-based economy that expands opportunity for all. Ten national, regional and local foundations have committed $100 million to this unprecedented eight-year initiative, including the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan (Detroit), the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation (Southfield, Michigan), the Ford Foundation (New York), the Hudson-Webber Foundation (Detroit), the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (Battle Creek, Michigan), the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation (Miami), The Kresge Foundation (Troy, Michigan), the McGregor Fund (Detroit), the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation (Flint, Michigan), and the Skillman Foundation (Detroit). The participating foundations are leading the implementation and governance of the Initiative. The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, which initiated the collaborative, is serving as its administrative home. For more information, please visit www.neweconomyinitiative.org.
About the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan
The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan is a permanent community endowment built by gifts from thousands of individuals and organizations committed to the future of southeast Michigan. The Foundation works to improve the region’s quality of life by connecting those who care with causes that matter. The Foundation supports a wide variety of activities benefiting education, arts and culture, health, human services, community development and civic affairs. Since its inception, the Foundation has distributed more than $415 million through more than 35,500 grants to nonprofit organizations throughout Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, St. Clair and Livingston counties. For more information, please visit www.cfsem.org.