DEP Secretary John Quigley Monday announced the appointment of Carl E. Jones, Jr. as Director of DEP’s Office of Environmental Justice.

“In this post, Jones will reconstitute DEP’s commitment to serve all residents of Pennsylvania, and improve our partnership with Environmental Justice community members and advocates in our policy, planning and permitting processes,” said Quigley. “The office has been renamed to reflect our commitment to justice, especially in vulnerable communities in the state. DEP established the Office of Environmental Advocate in 2002 to establish a dialogue with communities that did not always have a voice in environmental issues, ensuring that their concerns were heard, and where possible addressed, by the agency.”  

Jones has been an attorney in Tucker Law Group, LLC, in Philadelphia, since 2013, and prior to that, at Kline & Specter, P.C., in Philadelphia, and K&L Gates, LLP, in Pittsburgh. He is also a lecturer-of-law at the University of Pennsylvania School of Law where he works with the school’s advocacy program.

He is licensed in the state and federal courts of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as well as in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, and has substantial experience involving all matters of trial and litigation practice.

Jones is also co-founder of the Idea Coalition, a nonprofit organization devoted to bringing together the Black and Jewish communities, and to make their region’s cities better places to live, work and play.

A native of Georgia, he attended Cornell University, where he was elected class president and graduated with honors. He received his J.D. at the University Of Georgia School of Law.

Jones will work primarily from DEP’s Southeast Regional Office in Norristown.

Quigley said the offer of employment was extended to Jones prior to the current hiring freeze.

10/26/2015