Amarillo native selected to serve as adviser to Secretary of the Navy

BANGOR, Wash. - Lt. Corey Todd Jones, a native of Amarillo, was recently selected to serve on the Secretary of the Navy’s staff as deputy public affairs officer.

Jones graduated from Amarillo High School in 1999 as a member of the National Honor Society. Additionally, Jones earned a bachelor’s degree in communications with a focus in cinema from Southern Methodist University in 2003, a Master of Fine Arts in film production from Loyola Marymount University in 2009, and a Master of Business Administration from William & Mary in 2020.

The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Amarillo.

“Amarillo is a town where it seems like everyone knows you and it definitely has a wholesome community there,” said Jones. “It also has a lot of really smart people. Maybe it was just a simpler time, but everyone looked out for each other. I went to cattle drives and worked in the fields picking green beans. I’m an Eagle Scout and I loved being a Boy Scout. In Explorers and scouting we would go camping all the time. Having all of that in my life was very formative.”

Jones’ grandfather, Charles Lewis Jones, was a Navy line officer in the Pacific Campaign during World War II, seeing combat at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. The elder Jones later taught high school chemistry and physics in Amarillo.

“My grandparents were alive during the Great Depression and they were aware that they had to be mindful of their resources,” said Jones. “That was grounding for me because if I ever think I’m too big for my britches, I remember that and it’s humbling.”

Jones joined the Navy 12 years ago and today serves as a public affairs officer.

“I joined the Navy because my skills were transferrable and I felt like I could reach a broader audience,” said Jones. “After I graduated from undergrad, I moved to L.A. and worked in the entertainment industry. I had a desire to do something significant in my life, to be part of a team and set myself up for success. I had a lot of debt from my first master’s degree, but when I learned I could use my communications skills and do film and photography in the Navy, and that they would help pay for my degree, it was a no-brainer.”

Jones was an enlisted sailor before commissioning as an officer.

“I was an enlisted mass communication specialist (MC) for three years and loved it,” said Jones. “The detailer at the Military Entrance Processing Station said MCs were the ‘rock stars of the Navy,’ because they receive notable assignments like aerial photography and documenting distinguished visitors. As an MC, my photography was published in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, among others. As a result of joining the Navy, I’ve honed my skills. I am so much more prepared and in a much better position by having a military background.”

The mission of the Navy public affairs community is to lead effective communication at every command level. Information is imperative to warfighting in today’s environment and the Navy’s public affairs officers, mass communication specialists and civilian public affairs professionals work around the world to support the Navy’s communication priorities. By offering strategic counsel and emergent response capabilities, the Navy’s public affairs community shares accurate information while combating misinformation and disinformation.

With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.

Jones serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.

“We will earn and reinforce the trust and confidence of the American people every day,” said Adm. Lisa Franchetti, chief of naval operations. “Together we will deliver the Navy the nation needs.”

Jones has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.

“The great thing about the Navy is being able to work as part of a team,” said Jones. “I’ve had my work appear in publications and exhibited to a worldwide audience and I’ve met public officials at varying levels, from city mayors to congressmen to the president, but being able to work as a team with the people I’ve met in the Navy stands out.” Jones can take pride in serving America through military service.

“Serving in the Navy allows me the ability to push myself, educate myself and surround myself with motivated people,” said Jones. “There’s a culture of physical fitness, which I really like, and I love the fact that the culture pushes you to exceed your own expectations for yourself.”

Jones is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.

“I’d like to thank my dad and stepmom, Steve and Gloria Jones, and my mom, Cynthia, my sister Marci, my younger sister Kristina, my grandparents, though they’ve passed on, my wife, Christine, my daughter, Hannah, and all my friends and mentors,” added Jones.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo native selected to serve as adviser to Secretary of the Navy