Biography

Dr. Romona Jackson Jones serves as Chairman of the Douglas County Board of Commissioners. She was first elected in 2016, becoming the first African American to hold the position in the county’s 155-year history and the first African American female to be elected Commission Chair in a countywide race in Georgia history. She has been re-elected twice as Douglas County Commission Chairman, both in 2020 and 2024.

Since taking office, Chairman Jackson Jones has transformed the trajectory of Douglas County's local government by implementing efficient and effective 21st-century practices to better serve all citizens. She functions in the capacity of a Chief Executive Officer,  overseeing the County’s multimillion-dollar budget, leading the Board in formulating policy, enacting legislation through ordinances and resolutions, and establishing strategic plans that guide the county’s mission, vision, and values.

During her tenure as Commission Chairman, Dr. Jackson Jones guided the planning and execution of the county’s first multi-year strategic plan focused on improving the quality of life for Douglas County residents. Among the key priorities: public safety, infrastructure, public health and mental health services and resources, housing affordability for seniors and veterans, and economic sustainability for small and minority-owned businesses. Chief among Chairman Jackson Jones’ implementation strategies for the citizen-driven plan -- fostering public engagement to maximize accountability, transparency, and inclusivity while maintaining a fiscally responsible government. 

She consistently seeks growth opportunities by fortifying stakeholder relationships to ensure Douglas County has a seat at the table for issues related to social, economic, demographic, technological, and infrastructure advancements at the national, federal, state, and local levels. As a testament to this commitment, Chairman Jackson Jones was instrumental in securing a 100% Census Count in 2020, integral to shaping Douglas County’s future - both short and long-term - and determining local allocations of federal funding for schools, hospitals, fire departments, and more.

In 2017, Chairman Jackson Jones secured the largest single capital investment in Georgia’s history with the $2.5 billion Switch data center. In 2023, she secured a $160 million investment from Lionsgate for a new film and television complex in Douglas County. In 2025, she welcomed Amazon Web Services - with a corporate investment totaling $5 billion - to bring the “most secure, resilient, and advanced cloud computing technology” to the county, along with hundreds of new high-paying, high-tech jobs with long-term benefits. Additionally, according to data reported by Metro Atlanta Chamber economists, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has doubled in Douglas County under Chairman Jackson Jones' leadership with an increase of 113%, outpacing the nationwide GDP at 64%.

Chairman Jackson Jones serves on numerous boards including the Metropolitan North Georgia Water District Board, Association of County Commissioners, Atlanta Regional Commission, National Association of County Officials, Cobb/Douglas Public Health Board, Douglasville/Douglas County Water and Sewer Authority, Douglas County Development Authority Board, Elevate Douglas Economic Development Board, Douglas County Community Services Board, and the Douglas County Chamber Chairman's Club. 

Her 48-year career has been marked with several groundbreaking accomplishments. Noteworthy recognitions include Marquis’ Who’s Who 2024, the Georgia Association of Black County Officials 2024 County Commission Chair of the Year, Engineering Georgia’s 100 Most Influential Women in Georgia 2022, the 2022 Georgia Public Health Association Fred Agel Governance Award, the 2022 Women of Impact Public Policy Award, and the 2016 Presidential Lifetime Achievement Volunteer Award.     

Chairman Jackson Jones is a United States Army Veteran who proudly served our country. Following her service, Dr. Jackson Jones has worked in federal, state, and local governments. She has extensive experience in leadership, administration, operations management, process improvement, strategic planning, master facility planning, personnel management, policy development, and multi-million-dollar budget oversight.

Dr. Jackson Jones earned a bachelor’s degree in healthcare management from Southern Illinois University, a master’s degree in health administration from Chapman University, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Argosy University.

Chairman Jackson Jones has been a resident of Douglas County for 23 years. She is the extremely proud mother of Shannon Jones, a Douglas County School System Educator.