From South Central L.A. to First Gen Athletic Scholar to HBCU President of Fort Valley State University: Meet Dr. Paul Jones
In February, GlobalMindED celebrates Black History Month by highlighting influential black voices. Meet Dr. Paul Jones, President of Fort Valley State University. Recognized for being a visionary leader and strategic thinker with an extensive background in higher education, with nearly 37 years of higher education experience, President Paul Jones was appointed to take Fort Valley State's helm in December 2015 following a career that included leadership positions in Georgia, Colorado, Maryland, and Utah.
Jones, an astute and affable administrator who is committed to the transformative power of higher education, has spent the last several years advancing FVSU’s standing as one of the nation’s most respected institutions of higher learning, including its consistent ranking as the top public historically Black college and university (HBCU) in Georgia by U.S. News and World Reports.
What is your personal/professional story?
Born and raised in south central Los Angeles, I grew up the youngest (twin) of 10 children and in what would be classified as a low socioeconomic status household. While these conditions made life challenging financially, I was fortunate to be raised in a two-parent household, well-disciplined, and reared by a mother who was a strong spiritual woman with strong values and principles. My life changed tremendously when, in sixth grade, I was bussed out of my neighborhood to nearly 45 minutes away from my home to help with the integration of the predominantly white public high schools. Even though this had a significant impact on my life at such a young age, I was blessed to excel as a student-athlete and earn a full athletic scholarship. Throughout my career as a first-generation college student and athlete, I had the opportunity to get involved in student leadership positions such as the Black Student Union. This is where I began to develop and hone my leadership skills.
I met my amazing wife in college and together we served in leadership roles and developed as student leaders. We had incredibly diverse mentors and learned together about different administrative roles within student affairs and higher education. My first professional position was as an admissions counselor. This position led to increasing higher-level leadership roles at a diverse number of institutions across the country. These leadership opportunities ranged from student affairs, business and finance, and academic affairs, to the presidency. I am proud to now serve as the 10th President of Fort Valley State University, Georgia’s 1890 Land Grant University and one of the three public Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in Georgia, and the number one public HBCU in the state. I am grateful to serve in a place where the transformation of youth is paramount, and we focus on empowering each student. I am passionate about the work because these students remind me of my journey.
What key moments in your life led you to where you are today?
Several key moments have shaped my destiny. First and foremost, family helped shape me into the person and leader that I am today. While we had very little growing up, it was a loving family, Christian-oriented, well-disciplined, and we were engaged in the community. I still hold on to these values. I am grateful to several mentors who guided, encouraged, and sometimes scolded me about my future, even when I did not see or have the faith or foresight. They often saw more potential in my leadership and future than I saw in myself. These mentors helped shape my journey and supported me during critical times in my career. Lastly, I believe my faith, passion to serve and give back, and my unique journey have inspired me to work in an HBCU environment that supports the underserved populations in our country.
Where does your passion to serve come from?
My passion stems from my faith, values, and sense of service. My desire to give back and pave the way for others inspires me every day to give back more than I receive. My mother instilled the value of giving of oneself. Even though we did not have much, we were always sharing whatever we had with others who were less fortunate than we were. There were always people who were not family members living with us, eating at the table with us, and even borrowing what little we had. It took me years to understand why my mother was always inviting others to the ‘table.’ Today, I am grateful that she instilled this value and love within me. It’s now a part of who I am and why I am who I am.
How can GlobalMindED help you reach your goals?
The mission of GlobalMindED resonates deeply with the principles upheld by myself and Fort Valley State University. As the president of an HBCU dedicated to serving predominantly students of color, first-generation and low-socioeconomic students since our founding year in 1895, we have been working to close the equity gap through the transformative power of education. We seek to forge a strategic partnership with GlobalMindED to support first-generation students across America. Our commitment and dedication to this effort can be demonstrated through education, training, mentorship, and presentations. Working together, I believe we can make an extraordinary impact in the communities we both serve.
