Frankie Jones set to fill seat on County Commission
By Yasmine Regester, Peacemaker Staff Writer / March 4, 2022
Frankie T. Jones Jr.
In a special election on February 17, the Guilford County Democratic Party selected Jones out of three potential candidates to fill the seat. His civic service career includes local government, community and professional experiences across Greensboro.
Jones is the current chairman of the Guilford County Planning Board, a position he has held since 2017. He is also a member of the Greensboro Planning & Zoning Commission, Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority Board, and the Greensboro ABC Board. He is a former chairman of the Greensboro Board of Adjustment and a graduate of the City of Greensboro City Academy. Jones has previously served or is currently serving on the boards of several organizations including Gateway Research Park, Triad Stage, Triad Goodwill, Piedmont Land Conservancy and Preservation Greensboro.
He serves as the current Chairman of the Greensboro Sports Council. He is a Silver Life Member in the NAACP and past Executive Committee member for the Greensboro Branch. He is also a former chair of the Real Property Section of the North Carolina Bar Association and a former member of the Davidson College Board of Visitors. He is an active member of the Greensboro Bar Association and Guilford County Association of Black Lawyers.
Jones’s recognitions include the North Carolina Legal Elite, North Carolina Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America, Triad Business Journal’s “40 Under 40”, Greensboro News & Record’s Top 20 People of Influence in Greensboro (#4), and Black Business Ink’s 40 Under 40 Most Influential African Americans in the Triad.
He is currently a Vice President & Managing Director in the Investments Department at Lincoln Financial. Prior to his current role, he was a partner in the Greensboro office of Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP where he focused his practice on real estate and business law. An Alamance County native, Jones earned his B.A. in History (Minor in Economics) from Davidson College as a James B. Duke scholar and starter on the football team. He earned his Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from the University of Virginia School of Law. He and his wife, Ashley Coote Jones, reside in her hometown of Greensboro, where she is a Bennett College alumna, a licensed funeral director, and has a Master of Public Health.
The Guilford County Board of Commissioners are expected to approve Jones’ nomination at its Thursday, March 3 board meeting.
District 8 Guilford County Commissioner Melvin “Skip” Alston noted that after working with Coleman for many years, she can never be replaced; however, Jones has the experience and the passion to fill the position.
“Carolyn brought a wealth of experience. She had been out working with politicians for years before she became a county commissioner. I have high hopes for Frankie Jones. He has prepared himself to be a public servant. He’s been involved in the city and county and is qualified for the next step,” said Alston.
“I think Frankie, with his knowledge and skills, he’ll hit the ground running,” he added.
Jones said there are three priorities that he wants to address during his time on the board, which are the bonds that will provide schools with much needed infrastructure upgrades, funding of county human services to address public health concerns and ensuring that the whole community is participating in economic development. Specifically, he said he wants to focus on “M/WBEs getting an equal share of opportunities.”
District 7 is comprised largely of Pleasant Garden, East Greensboro and parts of Northeast Greensboro and a small section of Sedalia. The seat is up for election for a full, 4-year term on November 8. Coleman, who was 79 at the time, had filed in December 2021 to seek re-election, before the state Supreme Court stopped the filing as part of its review of redistricting maps. The last day for filing for this year’s elections is March 4 and Jones has already filed to run for a full-term on the Guilford County Commission.
“For me, it’s about people,” said Jones, who noted that is the inspiration from the late Coleman that he carries with him.
“The biggest thing about Commissioner Coleman, I believe, was that she cared about people. She put people first. She was truly a servant leader. Just her example of that is what I’m trying to follow,” said Jones.
The Primary Election is scheduled for May 17 and the General Election is scheduled for Nov. 8.
