Despite the challenging odds as a single pregnant woman just entering the workforce, Teresa Jones never gave up on her dreams. Tenacity, faith and determination helped her stay the course, pursue a lifetime of public service, and blaze a trail for others to follow.<\/p>\n
Born and raised in Orange County, Jones always held a deep sense of pride in her community. It\u2019s that passion that led her to a career in local government.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love my community and want to see my community at its best,\u201d she said. \u201cI love informing and educating the community, and I think that\u2019s what drives me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jones currently serves as a Senior Code Compliance Inspector, leading a team that enforces laws and regulations to protect public health, safety and welfare. They also ensure businesses comply with local, state and federal codes.<\/p>\n
To Jones it\u2019s not just work, but something she refers to as heart posture.\u00a0 \u201cHeart posture is a position I take where my heart is postured toward love, and toward reaching out to the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Celebrating Black History Month is deeply personal to Jones.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am <\/em>black history.\u00a0 I came from absolutely nothing. I pressed forward and achieved my goal of both a bachelor\u2019s degree and a master\u2019s degree,\u201d she said. \u00a0\u201cThat\u2019s what black history is. Somebody who didn\u2019t quit. Someone who persevered.\u201d<\/p>\n She hopes her story inspires others to pursue their dreams despite adversity.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s an important story to tell. There might be someone who has lost hope,\u201d she said. \u201cI hope my story encourages them to keep going. It is achievable as long as you do not stop pursuing.\u201d<\/p>\n She gained valuable experience working across various government departments, learning and growing in each role. Jones started as an entry-level clerk typist for Public Utilities and then transitioned to support the Fire Chief. She was then promoted to the Building Division as a Minimum Housing Inspector, eventually earning certification as a building inspector.<\/p>\n She balanced a full-time job and motherhood while earning a bachelor\u2019s degree in business management and a master\u2019s degree in business administration.<\/p>\n Her career path wasn\u2019t without challenges in what was then a male-dominated field.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was rough because of how I looked. I was a female and the only African American. It was extremely tough,\u201d she said. \u201cThey looked at me and thought I didn\u2019t know my job.\u201d<\/p>\n Jones held her ground, worked hard and earned respect in the field. She holds the distinction of being the first Black female Building Inspector in Orange County.<\/p>\n She praised the mentors who encouraged and guided her remarkable journey.<\/p>\n \u201cMy managers would push me to my limits. They trusted me and always believed in me,\u201d she said. \u201cOne of my leaders said you are just as qualified and just as good as anyone. That\u2019s something I will never<\/em> forget.\u201d<\/p>\n She pays it forward in her leadership by consistently encouraging, pushing and praising her team.<\/p>\n When not at work or with family, Jones can be found spreading positivity at her church, sorority and the W.E. Freeman Outreach Center, an organization that services low-income communities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Despite the challenging odds as a single pregnant woman just entering the workforce, Teresa Jones never gave up on her dreams. Tenacity, faith and determination helped her stay the course, pursue a lifetime of public service, and blaze a trail for others to follow. Born and raised in Orange County, Jones always held a deep […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":22224,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[116],"class_list":["post-22205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-services","tag-black-history-month"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n