PISA, Italy – At Army Community Service (ACS), Shavonn Jones is on a mission to build community at Camp Darby. As the first point of contact for many incoming military families, Jones helps them get started. “Because Camp Darby is so small, it’s especially important to build a solid foundation from the start,” she said. “I try to help create that.”
Jones has been passionate about helping others since she was a child. Always known as the go-to person for anyone in need, she started her career as a Child Development Center (CDC) administrative assistant, then processed retirement and disability claims for the Social Security Administration. “For eight years, it was just me and a computer,” she said with a laugh. “I went straight from that to working directly with the community.” It was a new challenge, but Jones has thrived in the role. “It is my passion to help people and I believe you reap what you sow,” she said. “I’m planting seeds now to build strong families, which will hopefully grow into a strong community.”
“Shavonn brings us together,” said Monique Crochet, program and national test center coordinator at the University of Maryland Global Campus Europe. “It’s so much better than staying in our own isolated little pods.”
Jones’ role has been particularly important following the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jones moved to Camp Darby with her husband, Sgt. 1st Class Tehran Jones of the Africa Sustainment Battalion, and their children in 2021, in the midst of the pandemic. Since then, she has been actively rebuilding programs and community connections. “Building a community is a key ingredient to enjoying life,” Jones said.
“It was a big feat,” said military spouse Shelby Guffey. “Shavonn has done an amazing job bringing the Army and Air Force together … plus all the other parties … and creating a sense of community that was really destroyed by COVID.”
As a military spouse on her seventh move, Jones has found it essential to adapt and reinvent herself along the way. She earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration and Human Resource Management and Master’s of Business Administration. “Studying business was practical for the Army lifestyle because you can get a job anywhere,” she said.
But Jones’ deeper aspiration was to work in the field of law and justice. With that goal, she is currently earning her Master’s of Public Administration in Criminal Justice, preparing for her next role helping others – as an FBI agent.
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