1999 Candidates
Mike JonesBoard of Selectmen
1999 Candidates
Mike Jones
Mike Jones is seeking his second term on the Ridgefield Board of Selectmen. As an eight-year resident of the town, Mr. Jones is very familiar with the issues and traditions of Ridgefield. Outside of the school system, he feels the town faces a variety of critical issues. "Until the 1970s, Ridgefield was isolated from the pressures of the 20th century simply because it was hard to get here; the main roads and railroads all by-passed the heart of our village, letting Ridgefield mature in our own distinctive manner. Now we finally have to face the pressures of development with which other towns struggled twenty years ago. Therefore our biggest worries all involve preserving the distinctive nature of our town while adapting to the economic and social milieu of the 21st century."
He stresses the importance of dramaticaly improving the leadership of Town governemnt: "No matter how low the voters set their expectations, the previous two First Selectmen somehow have still managed to let us down," he says. "Our current town government can be characterized as rudderless, visionless, and thoughtless." Mr. Jones knows that strong, business-like leadership from the Board of Selectmen will help the town avoid expensive dead-ends like the multiple failures of the Middle School project, the dismal saga of the Quail Ridge by-pass road, and the loss of critical resources such as Bennett's Pond. The Town needs Selectmen who have the vision and the skills to implement the Town's new Master Plan, which would protect our property and our quality of life while demonstrating that prudent government can survive the turmoil of the digital age.
Michael Jones is Vice President of R.M. Jones & Co., Inc., his family-owned business based in Bristol, CT. This is a cluster of six diverse businesses centered around environmental issues and employing approximately 100 people. His companies serve international markets, so Mr. Jones travels extensively around the U.S. and to every corner of the globe helping engineers solve complex technical and environmental issues. Mr. Jones, who is often called "Jonesy", has been personally responsible for helping many well-known electronics corporations phase-out their use of ozone-depleting chemicals. In his ten years with the Jones Company businesses, he has grown the firm from $3 million to more than $35 million, a budget very similar to Ridgefield's non-education budget. In 1998-9, while serving as a Selectman in Ridgefield, he also managed two major acquisitions which have added to his companies¹ financial strength and their market position.
Before returning to the family business, Mr. Jones spent twelve years in the telecommunications and computer industries, including a long stint at AT&T and what is now Bell Atlantic Corp. His last position with the telephone industry was as the president of a small software company based in Seattle. "It's nice out west," Mr. Jones explains, "but for a real Yankee there's nothing as pretty as the hills of New England."
Mr. Jones also spent some time in less attractive places: as an air traffic controller in the Air Force in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, where he served as a lieutenant. "That's when I realized I could handle stress," he smiles.
The candidate lives with his wife Annie (a Republican!!) on High Ridge Avenue in a back and white house with Pepper, their old black and white Dalmatian, and Sammy, their new black and white cat. His hobbies include golf, which he plays poorly; flying the company's Cessna, which he does with an instrument rating; photography, at which he muddles, and the internet and computers, at which he excels.
Contact Mike Jones
Brought to you by the Ridgefield, Ct.
Democratic Town Committee, Rudy Marconi, Chairman
Paid for by The Ridgefield Democratic Town Committee, Edwin C. Pearson, Treasurer
'99 Candidates