On Tuesday, Oct. 13, Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade Maurice Jones will speak at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. His talk, “The New Virginia Economy,” will take place in Garrett Hall (235 McCormick Road) at 11 a.m. Secretary Jones will discuss how public policy must drive innovation and entrepreneurship in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
“Business creation is one of our golden opportunities for growth in the Commonwealth. I am delighted that a Virginia asset as powerful as U.Va. is in this business. Partners like this will ensure that we have maximum success,” said Secretary Jones.
Maurice Jones was appointed Secretary of Commerce and Trade in January 2014 by Governor Terry McAuliffe. Previously, Jones served as Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development from April 2012 through January 2014. As the second most senior official at HUD, Jones managed the Department’s day-to-day operations, the annual operating budget and the agency’s 8,900 employees.
Prior to HUD, Jones was President of Pilot Media, the largest print and digital organization in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Jones joined Landmark Media Enterprises, owner of Pilot Media, in 2005, serving as Vice President of the Landmark Publishing Group. In 2006, Jones became the Vice President and General Manager of Pilot Media, and in 2008 he became President and Publisher of The Virginian-Pilot.
A Kenbridge, Virginia native, Jones also served as Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Social Services and Deputy Chief of Staff to then-Virginia Governor Mark Warner. At the U.S. Treasury Department, Jones was Special Assistant to the General Counsel and he also served as Legal Counsel to the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund and as Director of the Fund during the Clinton Administration. Jones also worked for the law firm of Hunton & Williams in Richmond, Virginia and he was a Partner at Venture Philanthropy Partners, a firm that invests millions in the Washington, DC metropolitan area to assist low-income children.
Jones received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Hampden-Sydney College and attended Oxford University in England on a Rhodes scholarship, where he received a Master of Philosophy in International Relations. He later received a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia.
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