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Ms. Ingrid Saunders Jones
When Ingrid Saunders Jones was pursuing her education degree
at Michigan State University, she planned on teaching in a
classroom. Instead, the Detroit native works for the company
that once taught the world to sing.
Today, Ms. Jones is senior vice president of The Coca-Cola
Company and chairperson of The Coca-Cola Foundation. In this
role, Ms. Jones directs the vision and involvement of The
Coca-Cola Company in community, philanthropic and civic affairs,
especially education. |
“Education has played a pivotal role in my life,” said Ms.
Jones. “The importance of education is a concept that my mother
and father instilled in me beginning at an early age. It was
this concept of education, knowledge, excellence, and
preparation that prepared me for my career.”
Educator, public servant, and businesswoman are all words that
define Ms. Jones’s career. After teaching school for several
years in Detroit and earning her master’s in education, Ms.
Jones took a job with a non-profit, community childcare advocacy
organization. She was named executive director within two years.
Ms. Jones had found early success in her native city when she
decided to apply for the Atlanta Fellows Program, an opportunity
she thought would be “a long shot.” Instead, Ms. Jones was
accepted into the competitive program and eventually became
legislative analyst to the president of the Atlanta City
Council, Carl Ware. Later, she was chosen as executive assistant
to the late Maynard Jackson, Atlanta’s first African American
mayor.
Having earned a stellar reputation in government, Ms. Jones
faced her toughest career decision yet --- continue to work at
City Hall, or take a pay cut to work as administrative assistant
to her former boss, Mr. Ware, who was the vice president of
urban affairs for The Coca-Cola Company.
“The opportunity to do something new, to work in the private
sector, was irresistible,” said Ms. Jones.
While she has become one of America’s most respected
businesswomen, Ms. Jones has proven she is still committed to
education. Under her leadership, The Coca-Cola Foundation
contributed more than $100 million to education in the 1990s,
including scholarships and programs for students of color in
higher education, and initiatives to increase the academic
success of students in public and secondary schools. In
addition, Ms. Jones serves on the board of The Coca-Cola
Scholars Foundation, which provides scholarships to high school
students from across the country.
“Just as one of MSU’s Guiding Principles is improving access to
a quality education, The Coca-Cola Foundation is committed to
helping young people grow and learn,” said Ms. Jones.
Beyond Coca-Cola, Ms. Jones continues to support her community.
She is the immediate past chair of the board of directors of the
United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta and has also chaired the
Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta and the National Black
Arts Festival. She also serves as a board member of the Council
on Foundations, the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at
Georgia State University, the Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation, the
Woodruff Arts Center, and is a member of the downtown Atlanta
Rotary Club and the Society of International Business Fellows.
In honor of her work in the corporate world, as well as her many
contributions to civic and community causes, MSU awarded her
with an honorary Doctor of Humanities Degree, an honor she also
has received from the Atlanta College of Art.
In 2002, Ms. Jones became the first African American to receive
the coveted American Jewish Committee (AJC) Institute of Human
Relations Award, presented by the AJC Atlanta Chapter.
Recognition of her work and contributions also includes the 2001
National Action Network's Keepers of the Dream Award, NAACP -
Atlanta Chapter's 1998 Jondelle Johnson Legacy Award; the 1998
"Woman of Achievement" from the YWCA of Greater Atlanta; 1998
"President's Award" from Morehouse College; The Ohio State
University Foundation's 1998 John B. Gerlach Development Award;
Georgia State University School of Business 1998 "Hall of Fame";
and the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund's 1997 "National
Equal Justice Award."
The accolades are more than honors for a successful career; they
reflect Ms. Jones’s past experiences – her lifetime of
education. Drawing on the strength of her grandmother, mother,
and aunts, she remembers their frequent summer talks in the
mountains of North Carolina.
“You have to live it to learn it,” they would say. The phrase
inspired Ms. Jones to great achievements. And, in time, she
added her own touch, inspiring others with a similar phrase:
“You really do have to live to learn… and earn it.”
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