Senior Fellow
Reginald Jones is a Senior Fellow at the Steans Family Foundation, where he served as Executive Director and then President from 2003 to 2011. From 2012 to 2022, he served as President and CEO of the Jacobs Family Foundation and Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation in San Diego, California.

Reginald has built his career working with community residents and organizations, political leaders, and private entities to foster understanding, seek input, and build collaboration for neighborhood improvement. He has worked with land-use planners, housing and retail developers, human service agencies, and other entities to foster comprehensive community improvement activity.

Reginald has worked beyond philanthropy in the arts, education, and public administration sectors. He managed the Culture Program at the Joyce Foundation, creating the Joyce Awards Initiative to support artistic works by minority artists, and sharing responsibility for a $10 million Education Grant Program. Reginald has served on the board of the Council on Foundations, where he also was Chair of the Family Philanthropy Committee, and the Merit School of Music in Chicago.  

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, and a Master’s Degree from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. He completed additional study in nonprofit management focused on organizational development, strategic planning, and sector financial accountability.

He currently serves on the Board of Directors at the Lake County Community Foundation.