Shannon Jones, III served as the Director of Austin Public Health with the City of Austin for two years before his retirement in April, 2017. Under his oversight, the department achieved accreditation by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB), and was one of the first five accredited public health agencies in the State of Texas. He was previously Deputy Director of Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department from August 2011 to April 2015, and had served on the department’s staff since July 1999.
The Central Texas African American Family Support Conference awarded Mr. Jones the 2015 Garnet F. Coleman “Eternal Flame” award, which recognizes individuals who have demonstrated a strong commitment in their careers and everyday lives to raising awareness about mental health and health disparities.
The Obama Administration appointed Mr. Jones to serve as chairperson of the national Advisory Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis (ACET) with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from January 2011 until January 2014. He also served as member of the CDC’s National Study of Determinants of Early Diagnosis, Prevention and Treatment of Tuberculosis (TB) in the African-American Community.
Mr. Jones served as the Chair of the Austin/Travis County Community Health Assessment and Improvement Planning (CHA/CHIP). In this role, he coordinated and organized the collaboration of the major local health care and public health agencies along with many of the social services, transportation and various other public/private agencies in the region. The CHA/CHIP will serve as the first major comprehensive planning effort to address the key identified social determinants of health that impact the Austin/Travis community.
Mr. Jones might be best known in the community as founder of the local radio talk show “Health Talk” on KAZI FM 88.7, which for more than 11 years has focused on improving the health of residents of Austin and Travis County.
Mr. Jones holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia, a Master of Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh, and has completed course work towards the PhD in Management and Policy from The University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston. In addition he is a Woodrow Wilson Administrative Fellow and an Associate in the American College of Healthcare Executives.
The Travis County Commissioners Court appointed Mr. Jones to a four-year term on the Central Health Board of Managers in January 2018.
