Leading with love

Emotions bubble to the surface when Antonio Jones describes how his father’s love has carried over to his own life as a husband and father. He’s passing those values down to his own sons, Joel Marquez Jones and Antonio Bernard Jones.

“I remember growing up in Linden, a rural area between Cumberland and Harnett counties,” he recalled. “We lived right beside the road, and I was always busy and keeping active.”

Antonio grew up the ninth child in a large family with his parents and 11 siblings. They were snug in their three-bedroom home.

His parents still live nearby and are in their 80s. They’ve been married for 65 years. His father, Alexander Jones, is a retired pastor and an entrepreneur with a construction business, doing roofing and woodworking.

“I saw my father get up early each morning, and I remember how hard he worked for his family,” Antonio says. He takes a long pause to gather himself. “I learned my work ethic from him.”

There are few places in Fayetteville and Cumberland County that Antonio has not touched. He graduated from Pine Forest High School and went on to serve in the U.S. Air Force before enrolling at Fayetteville State University where he majored in biology. He earned a Master of Public Health degree from Walden University and became an epidemiologist with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, eventually supervising regional offices in Robeson, New Hanover, and Cumberland counties. It was a role that would influence his life’s pathway.

Antonio describes his roots in public health, starting out as a disease investigator, going door-to-door, visiting residents in his region. He and his team drew blood samples, gathered data, and compiled statistics on the illnesses and diseases they encountered.

It was a hard job but lit a spark and inspired Antonio to pursue a career in the “people business,” he says, and to learn to communicate with individuals, regardless of their station in life.

“There was something about engaging with human beings and seeing that they were more than a disease and more than a number, and they deserved respect,” he said. “It was not only interesting and challenging, but we also learned to accept them where they were, regardless of what we saw in front of us.”

He also learned to understand the trials and problems people experience. His work gave him a deep insight into empathy. It touched him deeply and became his North Star.

Antonio left public health in 2013 to explore opportunities in local politics, public service, and ministry. Married with two sons, he became a real estate broker and formed Jones Realty in 2018 as a way of providing for his family while establishing a flexible schedule to spend quality time with them.

Bound by love

Amichia Jones fell in love with Antonio when both were in college. A friend introduced them. They had a lot in common from the beginning — both grew up in Fayetteville and both majored in biology. Amichia was a student at Winston-Salem State University and recalls Antonio’s kindness towards her when she came home to visit.

“I was attracted to him because he was caring and intelligent, and he has a great personality,” she said. “And his good looks — definitely his good looks.”

She laughed at that thought and described how after hometown visits, he sent her on her way back to college in Winston-Salem with loving care.

“Before I would get on the road, Antonio would always check my tires and oil, and things of that nature,” she said. “They were just little things, but I thought they were important because I couldn’t do any of them, and that was what really attracted me to him.”

Amichia, who grew up in a household with just one sibling, recalled learning about her husband’s large family and encountering a dynamic she had never been exposed to. But she quickly saw how his growing-up years instilled in him a deep love of family and inspired him to pass that love on to their own sons.

“He’s always made it a point for us to do things together and he has taken time throughout the years to explain and demonstrate to our sons how a father should be and how a husband should be,” she said.

He also made it a priority to transfer his sense of giving back and volunteerism to his sons by providing them opportunities to volunteer with local organizations like the Salvation Army of the Sandhills and the Fayetteville Area Operation Inasmuch, which distributes meals and necessary items to the unhoused community.

“He’s done a good job of showing our sons how we should care for one another,” Amichia said.

Amichia, who was speaking by phone while on a recent mission trip to Kenya with her husband, nominated him as one of this year’s CityView Power of Giving Community Impact Awards honorees, presented by the Public Works Commission. The couple was on a two-week journey to remote villages and orphanages distributing feminine hygiene products to young women and providing counseling for girls who had been subjected to female genital mutilation.

This mission trip is all part of Jones Ministries International, a non-denominational ministry that provides services to ministries, churches, and individuals worldwide. The Joneses also provide training programs at revivals, conferences, and seminars through their Global Training Network.

“Antonio has what I like to call an ‘others heart,’” Amichia said. “He’s always thinking about others, especially when he learns that someone may be experiencing challenges and then finds a way to meet their needs.”

DeSandra Washington, vice president for academic support and DEI services at Fayetteville Technical Community College, credits Antonio’s humility and love of people for his ability to connect with others. She was on the panel of judges who selected this year’s CityView Power of Giving Community Impact Awards honorees, presented by PWC.

“He’s a servant leader,” she said, “and he feels that he was put on this earth to help and serve people, in whatever capacity is needed.”

Need knows no boundaries

As Antonio sees it, the need expands beyond the boundaries of his career and his ministry and touches local government. He has served the City of Fayetteville for almost three years, since the city council appointed him to fill the vacant District 3 seat when former council member Tisha Waddell resigned in November 2021. He ran for election to that seat in 2022 but lost by a hair to Mario Benavente.

He went on to serve at-risk youth as vice chair of the Cumberland County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council and was recently elected vice chair of the Fayetteville Planning Commission. Active in the N.C. Association of Realtors, Antonio chairs the Innovation Forum. In August 2022, he received the Key to the City of Fayetteville.

“He has represented the city and state and has been helpful for people who need assistance, and he has limitlessly given himself to serve in any capacity,” said Cassandra Haire, owner of the Etiquette School of the Carolinas and another one of the judges.

From youth to old age, Antonio strives to reach the entire population in Cumberland County. His name is on a plaque at the new Senior Center East, which was built during his tenure on the Fayetteville City Council. He counts that among his top accomplishments.

All people, from elderly seniors to young folks, are within reach of Antonio’s helping hands.

As a member of the Cumberland County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, Antonio supports efforts to “assess [the] needs of juveniles in the local community,” evaluate resources, plan for unmet needs; develop intervention strategies for at-risk youth, and fund services, according to the council’s website.

“This is a key role for me simply because juvenile crime is trending up, and to be in a position to aid organizations that are helping our youth is key to improving and helping our community,” he said.

Through it all, Antonio’s guiding principle is to leave his community better than he found it.

“My wife encourages me to always do what’s in my heart,” he said. “She sees how passionate I am about causes and helps me keep my priorities straight.”

Despite his busy schedule, Antonio still finds time for fun. He loves old-time gospel music and jazz. He can play bass guitar and percussion and enjoys singing. An athlete in college, he still shoots some mean hoops, and there is little he enjoys more than losing himself on a local lake in his boat.

He describes himself as real and authentic.

“What you see is what you get,” he said. “I don’t have ulterior motives. I’m straightforward and a straight shooter.”

Still, the one he looks up to the most is his dad — Alexander Jones Jr. — and he becomes emotional again when he describes the values he learned from him.

“My father taught me the value of hard work, and how to manage my time so I can volunteer, serve God, take care of my family, and do things I enjoy,” he said. “And because of him, I have realized that I may not be able to save the world, but I sure can save a heck of a lot of people.”

Read CityView magazine’s “Giving” November 2024 e-edition here.