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Ex-Chrysler William F. Jones Jr. To Become Focus: HOPE CEO

By Amarendra Bhushan for CEOWORLD Magazine Updated:November 4, 2008

After a nationwide search, the Focus: HOPE Board of Directors has appointed William F. Jones, Jr. as Chief Executive Officer. Jones, former Chief Operating Officer of Chrysler Financial, has provided leadership to Focus: HOPE for several years as a member and current chair of the Focus: HOPE Board of Directors.

His appointment becomes effective January 1, 2009.

“It is a great honor for me to follow in the footsteps of Father William Cunningham and Eleanor Josaitis who co-founded Focus: HOPE 40 years ago,” said Jones. “This organization has directly impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands of individuals and families in our community. These are challenging times for organizations like Focus: HOPE, but challenges also open opportunities. It will be my great privilege to lead this dynamic organization and find new opportunities and ways to serve our community.”

Josaitis, former CEO who focuses her efforts on fund raising, said Jones has her full support. “William has integrity and tremendous leadership skills,” said Josaitis. “I think Father Cunningham would share my enthusiasm for our new CEO. We were looking for a leader with true passion for civil rights – and he was right here as chairman of our Board. I am grateful that he has accepted this position and am confident that he is the right person to lead Focus: HOPE into the future.”

Jones replaces Timothy M. Duperron who has served as interim CEO for several months. Duperron, formerly Chief Operating Officer, was part of the leadership team that led the transition after Focus: HOPE Co-founder William T. Cunningham’s death in 1997.

Jones recently retired after a 26-year career with Chrysler and Chrysler Financial. He joined Chrysler Corporation as a corporate analyst and progressed through several assignments of increasing responsibility. Before being appointed Chief Operating Officer in 2007, he was vice president of Chrysler Financial for DaimlerChrysler Financial Services.

A native of Hampton, Virginia, Jones earned a B.A. in Psychology in 1973 and an MBA in 1981 from Columbia University. He was chairman of the Chrysler Financial Diversity Council and is a member of the Walsh College Board of Trustees and the Board of Trustees of the Charles H. Wright Museum.

Focus: HOPE is a nationally recognized civil and human rights organization in Detroit founded in1968 after the Detroit riots. Throughout the years, Focus: HOPE developed numerous programs in its efforts to overcome racism, poverty and injustice. It offers a food program, which assists 42,000 seniors, mothers and children each month; career training programs in machining, engineering and information technology; a child care center, a community arts program targeted to high school students, and neighborhood revitalization initiatives. Through Focus: HOPE, thousands of individuals – especially women and minorities – have become financially independent. www.focushope.edu.

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