Joseph Jones: Policy, community service and bow ties

Harkin Institute executive director named 2022 Forty Under 40 Alum of the Year

This year’s Forty Under 40 Alum of the Year is a bow tie aficionado and self-declared “policy nerd.”

Joseph Jones – this year’s recipient and the executive director of the Harkin Institute – said his fascination with bow ties started when he was in high school in Shreveport, La. He wanted to prove he could tie one and he enjoys wearing them. And after having his only neckties stolen in college, he’s just worn bow ties ever since. He now owns close to 200, including ones made of wood and sequins.

His love for policy also began during his upbringing in Louisiana, where he said politics is “in your blood in many ways.”

“If you’ve ever experienced anything of understanding Louisiana politics or the way things work in New Orleans and many other cities, there’s a lot of intricacies to how government works there,” Jones said. “It has a fascinating history with lots of colorful characters, and I got really excited about learning about that history, and about those things and the machinations of how a campaign works, and how a governor’s office works and how you get a party nomination to run for Congress.”

By second grade, Jones said he knew he would pursue a career in government. He grew up seeing and feeling that the experiences of his parents, who were factory workers, were not represented by the Black leaders often consulted on local matters.

He was first in Iowa from July to November 2002. He moved back in March 2003. From 2003-2011 he lived in Iowa and worked for the Iowa Democratic Party, Creative Visions, Governor Vilsack and Lt. Governor Sally Pederson’s administration and the Iowa Finance Authority. He took a leave from the Iowa Finance Authority to work for former President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign and then later returned.

“It was kind of like a field trip. I was going to go to a place I’ve never been before because I wanted to see all 50 states back then, and so I wanted to choose a state that I’ve never been to. And I was going to take any job they gave me on the campaign … just send my resume and fill out the information and say, ‘I’d like to come work,’” he said. 

In 2011, he became a legislative assistant to Sen. Tom Harkin in Washington, D.C., where he advised the senator on a variety of issues he had studied, from national security and trade to housing, small business and transportation.

Coming to the Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement introduced Jones to four policy areas he had never worked in: people with disabilities, labor and employment, retirement security, and health and wellness.

Although none of these have been his focus personally, he said overseeing the Harkin Institute’s work has provided the opportunity to learn about the issues and support the people dedicated to them.

“It’s great for me from this vantage point to see the passion in the eyes of the people – whether they be longtime professionals or law students or undergrads – who are working on these policy issues as they get excited about [them],” he said.

He said being a part of the growth of the institute – seeing it gain international presence and a new fully accessible building in the Drake neighborhood – is one of his most notable milestones since becoming a Forty Under 40. 

The people who have mentored Jones throughout his milestones and provided “good advice but also good prodding” include Harkin, former Lt. Gov. Sally Pederson and the Harkin Institute’s current board chair Marsha Ternus.

He also said he has learned about “my own activism and putting it into motion in different ways” from Rep. Ako Abdul Samad. And Andrea Woodard of the Greater Des Moines Partnership is someone he’s learned from and whose example is one he wants to emulate. 

When Jones was initially named a Forty Under 40 honoree 13 years ago, he recalls a mentor telling him, “This has solidified you as a young leader in our community. Now what?”

He passes on similar advice to the 2022 class of Forty Under 40, encouraging them to celebrate the achievement but also acknowledge the responsibility that comes with having influence.

The recognition “means that you’re in a position to be able to uniquely help others, and you should use that as best you can,” he said. “It gives you an opportunity to use your voice for those who don’t necessarily get heard very much. It also gives you an opportunity to bring to light the things that you see that need to be corrected, because you’re a part of a group of individuals who are seen and revered as a leader.”

In both career and community involvement Jones has tried to prioritize “the things where my talents can be best used to help serve others.” 

Stemming from his interest in how government works, he takes any chance he gets to share with others how policy is made.

“In our country, we often depend on government to just work in the background and many people see it as happening on autopilot,” he said. “There’s a lot of really important things that are happening every day that people need to know about, so I really like exposing people to that and giving them the help they need to feel competent.”

He is also a Windsor Heights City Council member and volunteers with Iowa Radio Reading Information Service, Habitat for Humanity and Everybody Wins! Iowa. He serves on the boards of the American Council of Young Political Leaders, Mid-Iowa Health Foundation and Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines.

Finding balance between work, community involvement and life means sometimes recommending other professionals who are looking to get connected as well as checking off items from his bucket list.

As planned when he first came to Iowa, he has visited all 50 states, and he also takes time to hike, meditate and volunteer at his church.

“There’s a short time period that we’re all here on this planet,” he said. “I want to spend mine doing things for other people.” 

Editor’s note: This story was updated on 3/28 to correct information about when Jones came to Iowa.