HJR286 Summary

• House Joint Resolution mourning the death of Willie Rogers Jones of Montgomery, Alabama, who died on March 25, 2011, at age 55.

• Jones served as Senior Vice President of the YMCA and Executive Director of the Cleveland Avenue YMCA for 15 years, mentoring young people and advocating for the underprivileged.

• He secured a federal grant in 2000 to develop a cultural arts program for inner city youth, resulting in the Cleveland Avenue Cultural Arts and Education Center, the largest YMCA arts facility in the country dedicated to serving disadvantaged children.

• Jones held leadership roles on numerous boards including the Montgomery Housing Authority Board of Directors, Montgomery County Recreation Commission, and Montgomery County Community Punishment and Corrections Authority, focusing on alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent offenders.

• Resolution was adopted by the House on April 7, 2011, and by the Senate on April 21, 2011, offering tribute to his legacy of service and sympathy to his family.