Shannon Jones, III served as the Director of Austin Public Health with the City of Austin for two years before his retirement in April, 2017. Under his oversite the Department achieved accreditation by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) – Austin was one of the first five accredited agencies in the State of Texas. He was the Deputy Director of Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department from August 2011 to April, 2015. He was with the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department/ Austin Public Health since July 1999. In 2015, he received the Garnet F. Coleman “Eternal Flame” award, an award for individuals who have demonstrated a strong commitment in their careers and everyday lives to raising awareness about mental health and health disparities. In January of 2011, Mr. Jones was appointed by President Obama Administration’s Secretary of Health and Human Service to serve as Chair of the National Advisory Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis (ACET) with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). His term ended January of 2014. He has also served as Member of the CDC’s National Study of Determinants of Early Diagnosis, Prevention and Treatment of Tuberculosis (TB) in the African American Community. Mr. Jones served as the Chair of the Austin/Travis County Community Health Assessment and Improvement Planning (CHA/CHIP). In this role, he coordinated and helped organize the collaboration of the major health care and public health agencies along with many of the social services, transportation and various other public/private agencies in the city and county. The CHA/CHIP will serve as the first major comprehensive planning effort to address the key identified social determinants of health that impact the Austin/Travis community. He started the radio talk show “Health Talk” on KAZI, a show he hosted for over 11 years focusing on ways to improve the health of our citizens in Austin and Travis County.
Mr. Jones holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia, a Master of Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Pa. and has completed course work towards the PhD in Management and Policy from the University of Texas, School of Public Health in Houston. In addition, he was selected as a Woodrow Wilson Administrative Fellow and is an Associate in the American College of Healthcare Executive
