Jeff Jones brings more than 35 years of municipal leadership and public sector management experience to Sumter Local Government Consulting as an Executive Vice President for Sumter’s southwest region. He has served in executive leadership roles for several high-performing and high-growth communities in Texas and elsewhere in the Mountain Plains region. He has overseen municipal & enterprise operations, including budgeting and finance, marketing and communications, strategic planning, economic development, infrastructure planning, organizational management, and the recruitment and development of executive leadership.
Most recently, Jeff served as Interim City Manager for Princeton, Texas, one of the fastest-growing cities in America, providing executive leadership during a period of rapid growth and organizational transition. Prior to that role, he served as Town Manager for the Town of Sunnyvale, Texas, a top ten suburb of the Dallas-Fort Worth market. There, he led initiatives resulting in an AA+ bond rating upgrade, acquired more than $15 million in federal grants, developed long-range financial and capital improvement plans totaling $175 million, provided oversight construction of the Town’s first new fire station, negotiated a joint 911/jail service agreement, advanced major economic development and mobility projects, and developed a national, award-winning communications & community engagement program.
Jeff also served as President and General Manager of The Woodlands Township, one of the nation’s premier master-planned communities and rated as one of the top cities in America by Niche.com. Hired to guide the Township through a major governance change, he also managed a broad portfolio of municipal and special district operations with an annual budget exceeding $130 million and championed significant economic development efforts during the pandemic, including the proof of concept for a regional performing arts complex. Mr. Jones also served as Deputy City Manager and Assistant City Manager for the City of Mesquite, Texas, a community of approximately 145,000 residents, where he provided executive oversight for numerous departments including public safety, public works, economic development, planning, parks and recreation, human resources, municipal airport operations, and arts and cultural services.
Prior to his time in Mesquite, Jeff spent 18 years with the City of Hurst, Texas, serving in senior leadership roles including Assistant City Manager. During his tenure, he helped lead transformative community and economic development initiatives, including the development of the Hurst Conference Center and adjoining hotel project, partnering with the Tarrant County College on special project initiatives and the implementation of an award-winning communications program. Jeff also previously held positions in Kansas, Nebraska, and Wyoming.
In addition to his municipal management experience, Jeff has worked as a public sector consultant advising local governments and private sector organizations on strategic planning, organizational effectiveness, economic development, and executive recruitment.
Jeff holds a Master of Public Administration in City Management from Texas Tech University and is a graduate of the Public Executive Institute at the University of Texas at Austin’s LBJ School of Public Affairs. Jeff is also completing the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute program to become a certified economic development professional. He was also a Credentialed Manager through the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and a graduate of ICMA’s High Performing Leadership program. Jeff has remained active in numerous professional and civic organizations, including service as a former Board Member of the United Way and Assistant District Governor for Rotary International.
