Thomas R. Jones

Thomas R. Jones, CEO of J Publication, Inc., is a published author, playwright, and producer. An Illinois native son born in Quincy with roots in, Peoria, Chicago, Schaumburg and Springfield.

He served in Vietnam as a Senior Hospital Corpsman with the 3rd Marine Long Range Reconnaissance Battalion, awarded the Purple Heart, Presidential Unit Citation, Combat Action Ribbon, Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the Vietnam Services Medal.

His body of work includes historical and future fiction novels(Lost Survivor & Ghost Watcher), stage plays (A Long Way Home), and poetry. A requested speaker on the topics: Women: combat and the draft, similarities/differences between the Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq wars, the changing role of the nation's National Guard, and the impact of technology on warfare.

He has served as Assistant Director of IL Department of Veterans Affairs and Chief Administrator of Public Pension Funds for the IL Department of Insurance. He has received several Presidential and Gubernatorial appointments, the recipient of numerous community service awards, and the first Black to be elected to the Peoria County Board of Supervisors where he chaired the Tax Committee. After forty-one years in Illinois state government, June 1, 2010, he retired as Chief Deputy Director of Budget and Fiscal Management for Illinois Secretary of State, Jesse White to pursue his creative commitment to story telling.

He is active in veterans' affairs as speaker for events, member of Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White Veterans council, Jr. Vice Commander Military Order of Purple Heart unit 159, member of American Legion and VFW.

He serves on the Illinois State Library Advisory Board and the Center for Books.