Jenny Jones, MA

Jenny Jones, M.A., serves as Senior Vice President for Government Relations at The University of Texas at San Antonio. A key advisor to the President and executive leadership, she leads UT San Antonio’s government relations strategy, working closely with policymakers, agency executives and community leaders.  As the chief government relations officer, she leads the team of university representatives who communicate UT San Antonio’s interests and priorities across local, state and federal government. She is responsible for advancing the institution’s education, research, health and community missions while ensuring university-wide coordination.

Building Bipartisan Strategies for Lasting Impact

Jones is known for developing bipartisan legislative strategies and building coalitions across state government, higher education and health care. She has extensive experience in securing legislative support to expand access and improve outcomes for college students and patients alike. She has been responsible for advancing key research initiatives in national defense, energy innovation, advanced manufacturing and other fields, and has worked to synchronize workforce and economic needs at the community, regional and state level. At UT San Antonio, she continues to garner support for institutional priorities across student success, research growth and community development.

Prior to UT San Antonio

Jones brings more than two decades of experience in higher education government relations, in support of academic excellence and research preeminence and spanning both university and health science center programs. She has worked with the Texas Legislature and a wide array of stakeholders to provide legislative strategies, policy analysis and grassroots support to improve the lives of Texans. Prior to joining UT San Antonio, Jones worked in key roles within the Texas A&M University System, including as Vice Chancellor for Government Relations, where she built a reputation as a trusted advisor and effective advocate for complex university systems. During her time as a health care lobbyist, she led the legislative and political efforts for the Texas Dental Association and served for 10 years at the Texas Medical Association in public health policy and legislative affairs, where she worked to improve patient access and clinical outcomes. 

Education

• MA, English Linguistics, Texas Tech University

•  BA, English and Journalism, Morehead State University

•  Doctoral Coursework in Discourse Studies, Texas A&M University

Personal

Jones was born on an Air Force base in California, but her family dates back to 1830s Texas. She is a fourth-generation musician, playing traditional fiddle tunes with her family since the age of 10. She and her husband, Stephen Jones, have run the New York City Marathon together, and together they have three daughters.