BIG RAPIDS, Mich. -- Former Grand Rapids City Commissioner Joe Jones brings decades of experience in civic leader and strategic consulting to his new role as Ferris State University's vice president of West Michigan Engagement.

FSU President Bill Pink made the announcement during the university's Foundation for Excellence Gala this past Friday. The new role is designed to expand Ferris State's regional presence and help foster new opportunities for collaboration, education, and economic growth.

Here are more details from an FSU news release:

“This new position will ‘bridge the rapids,’ tapping the world-class people and programs on our Big Rapids campus to support students and grow the thriving West Michigan economy,” Pink said. “It would be hard to find a better person who can do what we need to do. Joe’s leadership, his history, and the respect people have for him in West Michigan will be a tremendous asset.”

Ferris State has long maintained a vibrant footprint in Grand Rapids, with plans to continue expanding its downtown operations. Ferris State’s Kendall College of Art and Design serves about 600 students across its 17 Fountain Street building and the Woodbridge N. Ferris Building on Pearl Street.

The 17 Fountain Street facility is also home to the Grand Rapids Student Success Hub, a key resource that connects students of all ages with Ferris State programs, services, and support. Additionally, the university’s College of Pharmacy maintains a strong presence in the city’s Medical Mile, while numerous academic programs are delivered in partnership with Grand Rapids Community College.

A well-known leader in West Michigan, Jones brings decades of experience in civic leadership, strategic consulting, and community engagement. He is the founder of the Hekima Group, a Grand Rapids-based consultancy that provides crisis management expertise and strategic communication guidance to organizations across multiple industries.

Jones also served as a Grand Rapids City Commissioner for the Second Ward from 2016 to 2022 and was appointed to the Oakland University Board of Trustees by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020, a position he will step away from to take on his new Ferris State role.

“I will be here to listen to what the community needs, then champion new approaches that Ferris State can offer as a resource and a partner,” Jones said. “We will collaborate with industry and the community, and work with the K-12 school districts all across West Michigan.”

Jones said he is eager to apply his deep knowledge of the region’s economy and culture to strengthen Ferris State’s role as a connector between education, business, and community.

His belief in the university’s impact is also personal—his son, Miles, earned a degree in Construction Management at Ferris State while playing on the football team and now serves as a construction superintendent with Rockford Construction.

A lifelong advocate for equity and opportunity, Jones previously served as president and CEO of the Urban League of West Michigan from 2011 to 2020, leading initiatives that advanced economic empowerment in underserved communities. He is also the senior pastor of Brown Hutcherson Ministries in Grand Rapids.

Jones’s career has included several executive leadership roles, including as president and CEO of E.E. Milestone + Associates, Inc., and managing partner of Strategic Communications Group, LLC, where he provided strategic communications and cultural competence guidance to organizations across the nation.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts from Oakland University and a master’s degree in Ministry Leadership from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. Jones has also completed executive leadership programs at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and New York University’s Stern School of Business.

Jones currently serves on several corporate and civic boards, including Mercantile Bank of Michigan, Axios Incorporated, Corewell Health’s Grand Rapids Community Board, Frederick Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Experience Grand Rapids, and Start Garden.

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West Michigan's Morning News