The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) Board of Trustees last week elected Otis S. Jones as its chair for a three-year term. Jones is currently the sales executive of the Southeast Financial Services business unit at the software company ServiceNow. He is a native of Virginia’s Northern Neck and son of a Chesapeake Bay waterman whose family ties to the Bay stretch back generations.
“Otis Jones’ lifelong connection to the Bay together with his strong leadership and stellar business sense are an incredible combination. We’re lucky to have such a strong advocate at the helm as CBF’s new Board Chair,” said CBF President Hilary Harp Falk.
Jones has been a member of CBF’s Board of Trustees since 2018, and most recently served as its vice-chair with outgoing Board Chair Elizabeth Oliver-Farrow.
“I’m honored to be chosen to lead the CBF Board and foster its rich tradition of serving our mission to protect and save the Bay. We must continue to strive for clean water and a healthy Bay for all the communities that make up the fabric of our watershed,” said Jones. “I look forward to working with and learning from constituents while leveraging my board and leadership experience to drive CBF’s alliances, partnerships, and programs across the watershed.”
Jones emphasized that everyone at CBF—field educators, scientists, litigators, policy experts, and restoration staff—should double down on Chesapeake Bay restoration. “We must accelerate efforts by the states, federal government, and local communities to fully realize the benefits of clean water for all,” Jones said.
Prior to joining ServiceNow in March 2021, Jones retired from a 36-year career at IBM, which included 30 years as a salesman, manager, and sales director supporting financial services firms.
In 2020, Virginia’s governor appointed Jones to the Virginia Council of Environmental Justice, where he served a two-year term. Jones is a founding member of MEGA Mentors, an organization that mentors African American and other underrepresented students in Chesterfield County Public Schools. Jones is a graduate of Lancaster High School and Norfolk State University.
Mr. Jones and his wife Machel have three adult children and live in Chesterfield County, Virginia.
