Former Puxico area resident Crystal Jones has been named assistant director for Ozark Foothills Regional Planning Commission. In this role, Crystal will function as the region's primary economic development planner and will join Commission Director Felicity Ray, Transportation Planning Coordinator Andrew Murphy, and Special Initiatives Coordinator Samantha Rodgers as they work with member communities to develop projects improving the quality of life in the Butler, Carter, Reynolds, Ripley and Wayne Counties.
Jones, originally from Poplar Bluff began her career in economic development while working for the Commission in 2010 as a flood recovery coordinator. Most recently, she served as the director of the Economic and Business Engagement Center at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, where she oversaw initiatives that stimulated economic growth throughout the entire southeast Missouri region, including small business, workforce, and entrepreneurship development.
Crystal received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Southeast Missouri State University and a Master of Business Administration degree from William Woods University. She also received her Professional Community and Economic Developer (PCED) certification from the Community Development Council in 2017, completed the Harvard Kennedy School executive education program on authentic leadership in 2014, and is a 2012 graduate of the Delta Regional Authority Delta Leadership Institute.
Crystal has participated in many community outreach organizations including the Kiwanis Club of Jackson, Missouri, where she has served as president, the Old Town Cape Economic Vitality Committee, board member for Smart Space of Poplar Bluff, and memberships in chambers of commerce throughout southeast Missouri.
"We are beyond pleased to have Crystal back with us," stated Ray. "The timing couldn't be more ideal given Crystal's prior experience with the Ozark Foothills Region as a flood recovery coordinator. Those communities who have worked with Crystal in the past are pleased to have her back as well. I am quite excited about the work we will be able to accomplish together for our region."