Spokesperson Bios

Michele S. Jones, a retired U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj., was appointed as the Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense White House Liaison on July 20, 2009. She is responsible for the management of the Department of Defense staffing, recruitment, vetting and clearance process for political sensitive positions, boards and commission appointments. She serves as the Principal DoD contact with the Presidential Personnel Office, White House Military Office and is the Principal DoD liaison for the White House Political Affairs Office, the White House Intergovernmental Affairs and the President’s Council on Women and Girls.

Jones is responsible for special projects as determined by the Offices of the President, Vice President, First Lady and other White House agencies. She coordinates with other White House staff, members of Congress, senior DoD officials, and senior officials in other agencies. Additionally she conducts the final review and approval of all OSD, Defense Agency, Army, Navy and Air Force headquarters level consultants and expert actions.

While in the Army, Jones served as the 9th Command Sgt. Maj. of the Army Reserve from October 2002 through August 2006. She retired on March 1, 2007 after 25 years of service in both the active and reserve components. As the Command Sgt. Maj. of the Army Reserve, she served as the Chief of the Army Reserve advisor on all enlisted soldier matters. She represented the Army Reserve enlisted soldier at all levels within the Army, Department of Defense, Congressional and in the media. She served on multiple councils, boards and testified before Congressional committees and subcommittees that made decisions, recommendations and legislative changes affecting soldiers and their families.

She distinguished herself as being the first woman selected as class president at the United States Sergeants Major Academy (Class 48), the first woman to serve as a division Command Sgt. Maj. and the first woman to serve as the Command Sgt. Maj. of any of the Army’s components, active or reserve. Prior to her retirement, she held the highest noncommissioned officer position of any woman in the Army.

A career soldier, Jones held many positions of leadership responsibility from squad leader, section leader, platoon sergeant, 1st Sgt. and Command Sgt. Maj. Some of her career highlights include assignments to 78th Division, (Training Support), Edison, NJ; United States Army Special Operations Command (Airborne) (Troop Program Unit), Fort Bragg, NC; United States Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne) Fort Bragg, NC; 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg; 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, CO.

She has served during every major contingency operation including Operations Desert Shield/Storm, Restore Hope, Provide Comfort, Joint Endeavor and Nobel Eagle. She toured extensively throughout Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Qatar and Uzbekistan.

Jones has been featured in multiple newspapers and magazines around the world, including Ebony, Jet and was highlighted in Essence Magazine’s anniversary edition as one of 35 of the World’s Most Remarkable Women. She has appeared on the nationally syndicated Tavis Smiley Show, Black Entertainment Television (BET), Steve Harvey Morning Show and numerous radio stations.

Additionally, she has served as a panelist at several universities across the nation and at the “Women Shaping the World Summit” in New York City. Jones is continuously invited as a keynote speaker for various military and civilian organizations. She is the 2005 recipient of the NAACP Meritorious Service Award, the only enlisted service member to receive the award in the NAACP history, and most recently received the 2009 National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, Inc. Spirit of Democracy Lifetime Achievement Award. Additionally she has received recognition for her dedication to the community, youth and the elderly. She was selected to speak at the Democratic National Convention and served as a surrogate speaker throughout the country during the presidential campaign for Barack Obama.

She continues to serve the community as a motivational speaker for both the civilian community and the Army’s Planning For life Program – speaking to more than 45,000 middle and high school students both in the U.S. and abroad in the last two years alone. She is also a facilitator for the Family Leadership Institute – conducting multiple workshops to help parents become leaders in their homes. In addition, she is a principle agent with the Army’s H3 Program (Healing Helping Hiring Wounded Warriors), and continues to be an advocate and speaker for the military through multiple events. She is president and CEO of The Bones Theory Group, L.L.C.

Some of her awards include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Parachutist Badge, German Army Forces Airborne Wings and Royal Thai Airborne Wings.

Jones has a Bachelor of Science (Cum Laude) in business administration from Fayetteville State University, a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in management and international relations.