My name is Regenia Frison Jones. I am a mother of three and a wife. My husband is Edward Lee Jones, and we have been married for 24 years.
I am the eldest of seven siblings. I have been a resident of this great city for 44 years. My family relocated to Fort Wayne in the late 70’s from Selma, Alabama. Although I spent most summers in Selma with my grandmother, Fort Wayne became home for me.
I believe life is about service, I am committed and passionate, when advocating for causes that improve the quality of life for the disenfranchised, most particularly children and individuals with disabilities. I have been employed in the social services sector for over 30 years. I have extensive experience in the mental health industry and case management.
I am a graduate of Indiana Tech and hold a BS in Business Administration with a dual concentration in Management and Human Resources.
As a volunteer, I was appointed to serve on the Mayor’s Opportunity Advisory Council (MOA) in 2017 and is currently serving a second term. I served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children in the foster care system. I am the co-founder and CEO of Queen’s African-American Literature and Arts Club and the owner of a home-based social service agency.
I am a past board member of the Fort Wayne Urban League and served as the Guild President for five years. Other community involvement has included serving on various boards and committees, including the Fort Wayne Woman’s Bureau, MLK Montessori, the Black Chamber of Commerce, Unity Performing Arts Foundation (UPAF), American Cancer Society, and Drug & Alcohol Consortium (DAC), to name a few. I have been the lead organizer for many community youth initiatives and evidence-based programs. I have worked closed with FWCS in previous years with the drug prevention program and the Strengthening Families program which is an evidence-based family curriculum that encourages family engagement and appropriate parenting skills. In addition, my husband and I have served as active foster parents for the past 15 years.
My History – Having struggled myself with challenges I had to overcome with being over-looked as a child, I know first hand how important it is that all children is afforded the exact same opportunity to excel, whether it’s in-person learning or remote.
FWCS has always been a part of my life
I attended Fort Wayne Community Schools. My three children also attended Fort Wayne Community Schools. I was actively involved in my children’s education in the classroom and supported their extracurricular activities. I knew my children’s teachers; attended back-to-school nights, parent-teacher conferences, and PTA meetings; and volunteered as a room parent to help with parties, field trips, and special occasions.
My life has been devoted to social service
For the past 30 years, I have served in many capacities within the social service sector, but I have mostly worked with children and families through not-for-profit organizations, child welfare and mental health agencies. My extensive experience within the field has allowed me to meet and work alongside many prominent community servant-leaders.
I’m committed to supporting youth
In 2007, after noticing the need for more mentors for young females, I co-created Queens African-American Literature & Art Club Inc. (Queen’s Club), which is a not-for profit organization. The mission of the organization is to teach the skills that are sometimes overlooked in our academic facilities, such as self-esteem, appropriate communication, and appreciation of one’s heritage. Our goal was to help the girls we served develop their confidence by becoming comfortable within their own skin.
