Shomari Jones

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT SHOMARI JONES

I currently serve as the Director of Equity and Strategic Engagement for the Bellevue School District. BSD is a progressive district with approximately students and approximately staff that work collaboratively towards educating youth, with the support of family, community, and various stakeholders that bring it all together. We currently graduate just under 92% of all students that enroll in BSD, but regretfully, 8% of our young leaders have not been served in a manner that provided them wiith the tools they needed to successfully complete high school. My job is to research, analyze, develop initiatives, and coordinate strategies to ensure each and each and every youth is supported towards success. My immediate past opportunity allowed me to serve as the Chief Operating Officer at the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, a not-for-profit organization with 82 years of activism and community experience in the heart of Seattle’s most diverse neighborhood, the Central District. The League has historically focused its community work in education, employment, health and housing with Seattle’s disenfranchised African-American community. Prior to my role at the Urban League, I was priviledged to work with amazing youth of color as Senior Director Black Achievers Program, at the Meredith Matthews East Madison YMCA, and have a strong background in program development, education and health. I previously worked as the HERO (Higher Education Readiness Opportunity) Program Coordinator at the College Success Foundation, a pilot program serving boys of color, from 8th - 10th grade and have had many experiences focusing on diversity which include teaching English in Japan, teaching math to special needs youth in Alabama, and volunteering for numerous organizations around the Puget Sound Region. I have a BS in Mathematics from Tuskegee University. Specialties: Leadership Tomorrow Graduate, Class of 2010