The Jacobs Family Foundation and Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation today announced the appointment of Reginald Jones as their new President and CEO. After a nationwide search, a team of staff, local residents, and Jacobs board members selected Jones, who comes to San Diego from the Steans Family Foundation, a place-based community development foundation in Chicago.
Jones spent 10 years at the Steans Family Foundation where he served as President and Executive Director, overseeing an array of resident-led projects, including plans for a multi-million dollar school and family services campus.
Valerie Jacobs, Chair of the Board of the Jacobs Family Foundation said Jones was a rare find for this unique type of philanthropy. “Reginald brings a unique and hard-to-find combination of resident-led development experience and a solid background in nonprofit management. Place-based philanthropy requires a huge network of partners to get work done. Reginald has a long history of building the type of alliances we need to move into our next phase of work and ensure its sustainability.” Jones is a leader in fields of community development and family philanthropy, having served on the Board of Directors of the Council on Foundations and Grassroots Grantmakers, an affinity group supporting resident-led philanthropy.
Jones replaces Interim President Roque Barros, who will return to his position as Director of Community Building, leading the Foundation’s ground-breaking resident engagement work. “It was an honor to serve as Interim President, and it is time for me to get back to the work I love most – problem-solving with residents to bring about the change they want to see in our community.”
For more information about Reginald Jones and Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, please visit www.JacobsCenter.org.
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