Achievements & Awards | jonesfamilyllc

Celebrating Achievements

Honoring Family Excellence

Johnny Turner

From the beginning, Johnny was curious with a thirst for knowledge. While attending George Washington Carver High School he received the leadership award.

He served in the US Army from 1966-1969 and worked in the Army Security Agency in Ethiopia with a top-secret clearance. His division operated some of the very first computers and accounting machines used by the army.

He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Philander Smith College and earned a Research Fellowship to attend graduate school at University of Central Arkansas where he earned a Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling.

His professional career has taken him all over the world.

Beginning in 1985 he had many different roles in the Department of Agriculture before retiring in 2006.

He was a Toast Master International Club member for more than 12 years and was the president of 3 different chapters.

He led the effort to create the Jones Family LLC in order to protect the family’s many acres of land and give the family a unified way to make decisions concerning the land.

Attending and graduating from a historically African American College and living life as a black man in America, he’s come to understand and appreciate the challenges facing minorities. So he uses use his skills and knowledge to give back to the African American community.

In 1993, He, along with other family members, created the Jones Educational Fund in order to challenge our younger family members to excel in education and then use that education to achieve their dreams. A favorite quote of his is…”Education is the great equalizer!”

He volunteered part time to teach a financial literacy class in the New Orleans Public School System, a basic financial literacy class at Shorter College, African History at Arkansas Baptiste College for 3 years and is currently planning to teach a class entitled, “Black History before the Mayflower” because he knows it’s imperative that we as African Americans know that our history started long BEFORE slavery began!!

Michael & Mildred Jones

Michael and Mildred are a high achieving entrepreneurial couple. Mildred spent many years employed as a teacher in the Lonoke County Public School System. Michael and Mildred later opened and Mildred managed for many years a successful day care center in the county.

Michael worked for many years and retired from the Remington Ammunitions Plant in Lonoke County. Michael worked his way up through the rank at Remington to become one of the highest ranking African American—if not the highest ranking African American—to ever be employed by the plant.

After retiring the entrepreneurial spirit hit them again. They are now part owners of the Serenity Funeral Home in Little Rock.

There are approximately forty million African Americans. African Americans make-up 3.4% of the number of people practicing law in America. Sheila is one of the 3.4%. That achievement no doubt required great perseverance and hard work.

Sheila Campbell

Ray Kelleybrew

Ray Kelleybrew was the husband of Barbara Kelleybrew, who is the daughter of Horace Jones.

Ray was a leader! And he displayed those exceptional leadership skills at the County, Community, and Family level for many years.

Ray was always concerned about the future on black folk, particularly about the future of all young people, and it showed in his actions.

This concern led Ray to become involved with the school system in Lonoke County. Ray was only the second African American to serve on the Lonoke County School Board. He would later become the first African American to chair the Lonoke County School Board and was a member of the school board up until his death.

Few were as well respected in the Kerr community as Ray Kelleybrew for community leadership and involvement. He was a role model for many in and outside of his community, particularly for the youth. He was always motivating, encouraging, and actively involved in teaching youth through sports and other means. He was always very supportive of and was an all-around role model for the youth--indeed for the entire Kerr community.

Ray’s leadership talents were also displayed in his church where he served for many years as a deacon. His pastor called him his “right-hand man”.

Leroy Jones Sr.

Leroy left Arkansas in the 1960s going first to California with the Federal Jobs Corp Program and later moved to New York. In New York, he took a job with Magnetic Analysis, a defense contractor located in Mount Vernon New York. At the time Leroy applied for the job, the company had a history of not hire African Americans so he was fortunate to get the job. He, of course, started at the bottom.

Always positive about his skills and abilities and what he could achieve, Leroy’s hard work and determination created advancement opportunities at Magnetic Analysis.

When he started at the company, many employees in his department were hesitant to even train him. But he continued to look over shoulders, read manuals, ask questions, and learned all he could. As mentioned, Leroy saw possibilities so he persisted when others in his situation may have just quit. His values had been learned many years earlier in Arkansas--the value of hard work, of never giving-up, of determination, of belief in ones’ self, and the value of knowledge.

Leroy retired from Magnetic Analysis after some 40 years on the job as the company’s only Black general manager and the highest ranking African American working at the company. While working as a supervisor, he came up with and implemented a manufacturing process that saved the company millions. Upon his retirement, the company was honored and happy to award Leroy the “keys to the company” for life.

The company, of course, just didn’t give Leroy its highest recognition because he was a great guy—which he was; it was given because he impressed the company owner and his co-workers with his smarts and work ethic. He was also well liked by the folk that worked for him.

He more than earned the award.

Despite his many achievements, Leroy never forgot where he came from. He was always there for the larger Jones Family and willing to do whatever he could to advance the Family. For his lifetime of achievements and Jones Family dedication, the James Samuel and Lucy-McMillan Jones Family is proud to present Leroy with the 7th Jones Family “Lifetime Achievement Award”.

Colone & James Young

The J.S. and Lucy Jones family, formerly Lonoke County residents, presented its
third and fourth Lifetime Achievement Award to James "Jimmy" Young and his
wife, Colone, at its 19th-annual educational fund program June 27. The award
is to recognize the talents, skills and hard work of senior family members and
to encourage younger family members.The award is given to family members
who use their leadership skills to advance him or her self or the family, who
support the Jones family; who serve as a role model for family members and
who made notable achievements in his or her career. James Young worked as a
truck driver and continues to farm. Colone Young was a public school teacher
and owned and operated a florist business.

Bill Jones

Did you know the James Samuel and Lucy Jones Family had a multi-millionaire family members? It is true. Curtis Jones Sr.’ intelligence, business skills, drive, and determination took him to that financial status--a status reached by few Americans and even fewer African Americans.

Bill and his wife relocated from Kerr Arkansas to Los Angeles California in 1953. He grew-up on the family farm in rural Arkansas in the 1930s--a time when formal higher educational opportunities for Blacks were very limited. Despite the lack of formal higher educational opportunities, Bill became the epitome of the term “a self-made man”.

Bill was always very conscientious, ambitious and goal oriented. After arriving In California, He recognized very early that buying homes and apartment buildings to rent or sell could be very profitable. While working full-time at Bridgestone/Firestone for 30 years, Bill continually sought opportunities to invest in housing.

Looking for and investing in real estate opportunities became like a second career for Bill. Through his keen business wits and a strong work ethic, Bill achieved the American dream. If Bill could share words of wisdom with family members today, he would likely tell us to not be afraid to dream big dreams, to work hard, and to never give up on our dreams!

Gladys Turner

1925-2017

Formal educational opportunities ended after the eighth grade for many people of Gladys’ generation. This was her reality as well. Indeed, this was the reality for almost all Black women of her generation. The southern economic system expected, was indeed designed around the expectation, that Gladys and most Black women of her generation would work as maids. Gladys did maid work and other minimum wage jobs until she was in her early forties.

But Gladys never gave up on the idea that she would someday be at home when her children and grand-children came home from school rather than having to be at work taking care of other people’s children. While money was always tight, at the earliest possible opportunity she enrolled in a beauty college and earned a beautician license.

She and her husband, Lonnie, built a beauty shop and for the next thirty plus years she managed her highly successful beauty shop. She was the first person in her community, Black or White, to open a beauty shop. Her determination to make a better life for herself and her family would years later help inspire another person in the community to become a beautician.

To our knowledge, this made Gladys the very first family member of her generation to establish a successful business. Her willingness to drop everything and attend a beauty college while in her forties inspired many family members.

Her achievements led the Family to nominate and select Gladys Turner as the very first recipient of the Jones Family's most prestigious award, the James Samuel and Lucy McMillian-Jones Lifetime Achievement Award.

Roosevelt Young

There have always been and always will be a few people who achieve highly despite many obstacles--people like Roosevelt Young. Roosevelt Young was born with natural leadership skills. Big Papa recognized his leadership skills while Roosevelt was just a teenager and nurtured those skills. He gave Roosevelt responsibilities he would not think of giving to other grandchildren. Here we are some 50 years later and the Jones Family is still relying on Roosevelt’s leadership skills.

Roosevelt worked for many years as both a truck driver and a small farmer. While most small farmers gave up farming many years ago, Roosevelt’s skills and abilities and willingness to work hard allowed him to very successfully continue to do both jobs until retiring from his truck driving job.

Some people, despite having limited opportunities for formal training, push aside all obstacles in their path. Roosevelt Young is such a person. He has always been known as a take-charge and get it done type person. His intelligence, strength of character, drive, and strong desire to succeed propelled him to succeed on many levels and at many things.

Roosevelt, like all Jones Family members who have been awarded the family’s highest award, seems to thrive on hard work and made a practice throughout his life of setting and achieving goals. Like most successful people, Roosevelt made his opportunities. He never sat back hoping that opportunities might come his way.

Roosevelt never hesitated to step-up and take on a leadership role when the family needed him. He inspired many family members to work hard and to say as President Obama said “yes we can”. Because of his lifetime of achievements and because he never hesitated to step-up and use his natural leadership skills to benefit the J. S. and Lucy Jones Family, the family is proud to present him with the 5th James Samuel and Lucy-McMillian Jones Lifetime Achievement Award.

Homer McCall

Homer McCall Jr. had a long and successful track record of buying and selling real estate in California. Homer also established a very successful tax preparation business. His success helped lead the way for other Blacks in the California real estate market.

When homer started his buying and selling of real estate and his very successful tax preparation business, the number of Black entrepreneurs in these businesses were much fewer and the chance of failure was much higher. But that did not discourage Homer. His attitude was that achievement in life is not so much about where you start as it is about where you finish and he simply would not give-up. Many people play it safe, afraid to wade out in the deep water, afraid to risk it all, afraid of failure; that was not Homer!

Homer’s success in business was no doubt made possibly by his fierce determination, his never give-up attitude, his belief in himself, his people skills, and, of course, his willingness to work hard. His attitude was if other can do it, I can do it too, and I believe I can do it even better.

But even if Homer had not achieved success in his businesses, his willingness to take chances and to step outside of his comfort zone are qualities the Jones Family admires and encourages. What if Big Papa and Big Mama had not taken chances?

Not only did Homer build a successful real estate and tax preparation business, his commitment and dedication to the J.S. and Lucy Jones Family has always been very strong. Homer was the first to recommend that the family establish a trust or a limited liability corporation (LLC) to manage family property. He was also a frequent and often large contributor the Jones Educational Fund.

For his leadership and business skills and for his commitment to advancing the J. S. and Lucy Jones Family, the family is honored to present Homer McCall Jr. with its highest award: the James Samuel and Lucy Jones Lifetime Achievement Award.

Family Awards

The Jones Family Community Service Award

Did you know the James Samuel and Lucy Jones Family had a multi-millionaire family members? Well.....it's true!!

Curtis Jones Sr 's intelligence, business skills, drive, and determination took him to that financial status--a status reached by few Americans and even fewer African Americans.

Roy Lee Jones has gained a reputation for doing good and helping out. This award is to recognize Roy Lee’s efforts over the years to give back to his family and his community.

He did this before having health issues, and he is still doing it today despite physical challenges that would have caused many lesser men to quit.

But somehow Roy Lee Jones just keeps on going! He is like the bunny rabbit you see on TV that just keeps on going. Roy Lee just doesn't seem to know what it means to quit, to give up!

We know your physical challenges have slowed you down a little bit, but we can see that you still have lots of fight left.

Wise men say a man is defined by what he gives, not by what he takes in life. Roy, the Jones Family is proud to call you a family member, and we know your mom and dad are so extremely proud of you too.

How many times have you stepped up to the plate when family members needed a helping hand. And you are still doing it today. How many times have you shown your love and respect for family and community members. How many times have you volunteered to do good in the community.

These are some of the reasons this award is being presented to you by the J. S. & Lucy Jones family. On behalf of the entire Jones family and the Jones and Kerr community, it is our honor to present you with this award and to say thank you! You have been and continue to be a blessing to the Jones Family and to the community.

Undevonte Bens graduated from Sylvan Hills High School in May of 2017. Two months later he started a welding training program in Tulsa Oklahoma.

Undevonta said he always believed one could do what one wanted to in life, but you have to have a plan. Undevonta was always a good student. He made lots of A’s and B's and very few C's in the Jones Family’s “Making the Grade Program”. Those good grades allowed him to earn a college scholarship. But when a recruiter showed up at his high school seeking recruits for a welding training program, he and two friends decided that was what they wanted to do.

He started his welding training program in July of 2017 and graduated nine months later in March of 2018. The weekly curriculum was one day in the classroom doing paperwork and four days of hands-on welding practice. He said the training was pretty hard some days but well worth the effort.

Upon graduation Undevonta was offered three jobs. One in Mississippi, one in Iowa, and one in Little Rock. He decided to come back home to Little Rock and take the job offered by Caterpillar.

He said the welding trade is much in demand and the pay is excellent. He also said skill welders can make up to $56.00 an hour. While Undevonta is not at that pay rate, with nearly 2 years of experience he is well on his way to making a great living for himself and his eventual family. But Undevonta Is not content to stop with great pay and benefits; he plans to eventually open his own welding business.

To Learn how you can help with the

Making the Grade Program,

contact Erica Appleby

NEVER UNDER ESTIMATE THE POWER OF THE MIND. LISTEN, VISUALIZE, AND THEN EXECUTE!

Do you know a person(s) you would like to nominate for the

J. S. & Lucy Jones Family “Community Service Award”?

We encourage you to do so!

Criteria for the J. S. & Lucy Jones Family “Community Service Award”

Given to a family member or non-family member who has been widely recognized over a long period for going out of his or her way to do good things for the family and or the community.
There should be “wide and overwhelming agreement in the Jones family and or the community” that the person has put forth “great effort” over a sustained period of time in doing good in the Jones Family and or in his or her community.
There is no age or any other limit or restriction for this award.
The award can be earned multiple times.
This award (a certificate will be given) was established in 2018 by President Dareen Campbell & the Board of the J. S. and Lucy Jones, LLC. It will normally be given as a “surprise award”.
The award write-up can be given to any J. S. and Lucy Jones family member. If you need help with the write-up, let a board member know.