Del. Jay Jones Named Keynote Speaker for Urban League's 35th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast
By Betsy Hnath
*Due to overwhelming response, the 35th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Leaders' Breakfast is sold out. This includes sponsorship tables and individual registrations. Same-day registrations cannot be accommodated.*
Jay Jones, member of the Virginia House of Delegates for the 89th District, will be the keynote speaker at this year's Urban League of Hampton Roads Martin Luther King Jr. Community Leaders' Breakfast. The event, hosted by Old Dominion University and co-sponsored by Norfolk State University and Eastern Virginia Medical School, is slated for Monday, Jan. 21, at 8 a.m.at the Ted Constant Center.
Begun in 1984, the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Leaders' awards are presented to individuals or groups who promote positive images, exemplify community service, demonstrate the values that model those of Dr. King and show evidence of the impact their contributions make in the lives of others.
This year's awardees are: Sara Carroll, executive director for Sara's Mentoring Center, Inc., and owner of A-1 Environmental Services Inc.; Barbara Willis, CEO of Hampton Roads Community Health Center; Narketta Sparkman-Key, assistant professor of counseling and human services at Old Dominion University; Amy Milligan, assistant professor of women's studies and director of the Institute of Jewish Studies and Interfaith Understanding at Old Dominion University; Cardell C. Pattillo, youth pastor and community leader; and Donovan Stokes, student at Norfolk State University.
A lifelong resident of the 89th District, Del. Jones comes from a long history of service. His grandfather, Hilary H. Jones Jr., was a pioneer in the civil rights movement as the first African American appointed to both the Norfolk School Board and the Board of Education.
Both of Jones' parents are also longtime public servants. His mother, the Hon. Lyn M. Simmons, is presiding and chief judge of the Norfolk Juvenile and Domestic Court. His father, Jerrauld C. Jones, served eight terms in the House of Delegates representing the 89th District and was the director of the Department of Juvenile Justice for the Commonwealth of Virginia. He is the presiding and chief judge of the Norfolk Circuit Court.
Del. Jones serves on the board of the Boys and Girls Club of Southeastern Virginia. He is also a board member of Festevents, Ltd., the private not-for-profit organization that is the official event marketing and production agency for the City of Norfolk. Additionally, he is a member of the Old Dominion University Athletic Foundation's Next Generation Board and a lifelong member of the Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception.
Jones completed his undergraduate studies at the College of William & Mary, where he was a double major in government and history.
He was an associate with Goldman Sachs before heading to the University of Virginia, where he earned a law degree. He then returned to Norfolk, where he is now a practicing attorney in addition to his focus on government.
Doors to the breakfast open at 7 a.m. for registration with the event starting promptly at 8. Attendees can park for free in the 43rd Street garage off Hampton Boulevard.
For more information, visit ulhr.org or contact the Urban League at (757) 627-0864. For media inquiries, contact Bruce Williams at (757) 593-8562 or abwamarketing@yahoo.com.
