Educator, advocate, and former Virginia legislator, Joan Jones '77 M.Ed. has made an indelible mark on Central Virginia.
And she hasn't stopped. Joan's most recent effort is to help increase the number of women involved in the democratic process.
Joan is a member of the steering committee of the Central Virginia Farm Team, a branch of a statewide organization started by former Virginia Attorney General Mary Sue Terry. While women are about 51 percent of the population, they remain woefully underrepresented in the public arena. In both houses of Congress, for example, only 17 percent are women, and none are from Virginia. In the Virginia General Assembly, only eight women (20 percent) serve in the Senate and only 16 in the House of Delegates (16 percent).
A native of Buffalo, New York, Joan is a transplant who fell in love with the area at first sight. She moved to Lynchburg in 1957 with her husband, the late Dr. James B. Jones, an orthopedic surgeon, who began his practice here after serving in the U. S. Air Force. "Lynchburg is a wonderful city for families, and we raised three children here," she said.
Over the years, Joan has done more than her part to enrich quality of life, not only in Lynchburg, but in the entire state. She has held leadership positions in a wide range of organizations encompassing education, voting, mental health, women's issues, and the arts. She is a longtime board member of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia and Miriam's House, which serves homeless women and their children.
A retired member of the Lynchburg College Board of Trustees, Joan is passionate about education. "I believe education is basic to so many other things. We need an educated workforce, educated voters, and an informed citizenry. Our whole society is lifted when individuals are lifted," she said. She served on the Lynchburg School Board from 1965-71.
Joan's School Board experience was one of many factors that led to her to run for the Virginia General Assembly. In 1974 she became the first woman to represent the Eleventh House District, serving the area for the next seven years.
"Serving as a delegate was a significant life experience," she recalled. "It provided me with the opportunity to learn a great deal about the commonwealth, to support important causes, and to represent this district."
When she decided not to run again, Joan was named to the State Council of Higher Education where she served for eight years, including two as chair. "This experience was as significant to me as serving in the legislature," she said.
Joan's LC experience, both as a student and a trustee, has created a strong connection to the College. "I have a very deep commitment to Lynchburg College," she said. "It is not sentimentality, but rather a belief in the work the College is doing. LC does a splendid job of accepting promising students and providing them with the education they need. These students nearly always perform up to their promise, and many become stars."