Ella Jones
{{short description|Mayor of Ferguson, Missouri, USA}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Ella Jones
| office = 12th Mayor of Ferguson
| term_start = June 17, 2020
| predecessor = James Knowles III
| education = University of Missouri–St. Louis (BA)
| party = Democratic
}}
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.{{Cite web|first=Andy |last=Rose|title=Ferguson elects first black mayor in city's history|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/03/politics/ferguson-first-black-mayor-ella-jones/index.html|access-date=2020-06-03|website=CNN|date=3 June 2020 }}
Education
Jones earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry from the University of Missouri–St. Louis.
Career
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.{{Cite web|title=About us – Ella Jones for Mayor of Ferguson|url=https://ellamjonesformayor.com/about-us/|access-date=2020-06-03|language=en}} In February 2020, Jones was selected to serve on the United States Environmental Protection Agency Local Government Advisory Committee.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2020-02-25|title=EPA Administrator Appoints Ferguson, Missouri, City Council Member Ella M. Jones to EPA Local Government Advisory Committee on Small Community Subcommittee|url=https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-administrator-appoints-ferguson-missouri-city-council-member-ella-m-jones-epa-local|access-date=2020-06-03|website=US EPA|language=en}}
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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.stlouisco.com/Portals/8/docs/document%20library/elections/eresults/el170404/el45.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170405130406/http://www.stlouisco.com/Portals/8/docs/document%20library/elections/eresults/el170404/el45.htm|archive-date=2017-04-05|title=St. Louis County, Missouri}}
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.{{Cite web|last=Schlinkmann|first=Mark|title=Ella Jones becomes the first African American and first woman elected mayor of Ferguson|url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/ella-jones-becomes-the-first-african-american-and-first-woman-elected-mayor-of-ferguson/article_4fcddeed-9586-571c-b88a-bbcae3c71f70.html|access-date=2020-06-03|website=STLtoday.com|date=3 June 2020 |language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Ferguson elects its first black and first woman mayor|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ella-jones-ferguson-elects-first-black-first-woman-mayor-michael-brown-protests/|access-date=2020-06-03|website=www.cbsnews.com|date=3 June 2020 |language=en-US}} On June 17, 2020, Jones was sworn in as the first black and female mayor of Ferguson.{{cite news|url=https://www.kmov.com/news/ella-jones-sworn-in-as-first-black-woman-mayor-of-ferguson/article_efdcb0a0-b108-11ea-a563-6738c47d4b88.html|title=Ella Jones sworn in as first Black woman mayor of Ferguson|first=Alexis|last=Zotos|publisher=KMOV4|date=June 17, 2020|accessdate=August 7, 2020}}{{Cite web|last=Rosenbaum|first=Jason|title=Ferguson Elects Its First African American Mayor|url=https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/ferguson-elects-its-first-african-american-mayor|access-date=2020-06-04|website=news.stlpublicradio.org|language=en}}
She is also a pastor in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.{{Cite news|last=Medina|first=Jennifer|date=2020-06-03|title=Ella Jones Is Elected First Black Mayor of Ferguson|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/03/us/politics/ella-jones-ferguson-mayor.html|access-date=2020-06-03|issn=0362-4331}}
Electoral history
{{Election box begin no change
| title=2020 Ferguson Mayoral Election[https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/ferguson/ferguson-first-black-mayor-ella-jones-james-knowles/63-cc55d3eb-3703-4c8f-a29b-16120a7865da Ferguson 2020 Mayoral Election]}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Ella Jones
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 1,504
| percentage = 53.9%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|candidate = Heather Robinett
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|votes = 1,286
|percentage = 46.1%
}}
{{Election box end}}
Personal life
Jones moved to Ferguson, Missouri with her husband, Tim. Tim Jones died in 2013.{{Cite web|last=Ruiz|first=Michelle|title=Ferguson Mayor Ella Jones on Making History and the Power of Black Female Leaders|url=https://www.vogue.com/article/ella-jones-ferguson-missouri-mayor-interview|access-date=2020-08-16|website=Vogue|date=July 2020|language=en-us}} Jones has one daughter.
References
External links
- [https://ellamjonesformayor.com/ Ella Jones for Mayor] campaign website
- [https://www.fergusoncity.com/directory.aspx?eid=59 Ella Jones] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603042636/https://www.fergusoncity.com/directory.aspx?eid=59 |date=2020-06-03 }} biography on the City of Ferguson, Missouri website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Ella}}
Category:University of Missouri–St. Louis alumni
Category:African-American mayors in Missouri
Category:21st-century mayors of places in Missouri
Category:Women mayors of places in Missouri