Joint Center Welcomes New Board Officers  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oct. 5, 2022

CONTACT

Chandra Hayslett, chandra@jointcenter.org

Joint Center Welcomes New Board Officers  

Joint Center Board of Governors elects Paul Thornell, Paula Boyd, and Kenneth Jones to leadership positions 

Washington, DC – The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies is pleased to announce that our board of governors elected new officers. The board elected Paul Thornell as board chair, Paula Boyd as secretary, and Kenneth Jones as treasurer.

“I’m so thankful for the opportunity to serve as board chair and excited about the amazing work to come on behalf of Black communities. I continue to serve because I value being a part of the Joint Center — doing what I can in partnership with this outstanding board to keep moving things forward,” said Joint Center Board Chair Paul Thornell, who joined the board in 2016. “I am proud of the substance of what the Joint Center delivers every day by serving as an essential convener and producing top quality content. I am looking forward to building upon the Joint Center’s legacy and continuing to advance its mission work.”

Each officer has demonstrated a deep commitment to the Joint Center’s mission through their time on the board. Thornell previously chaired the board’s development committee; Boyd served on the board’s governance and compensation committee; and Jones chaired the board’s audit and finance committee and served as interim treasurer.

“I want to extend my appreciation to Paul, Paula, and Ken for assuming these leadership roles on our board of governors. Each are great leaders and professionals who will undoubtedly play a key role in ensuring the Joint Center continues to achieve significant milestones in line with our strategic plan,” said Joint Center President Spencer Overton. “The Joint Center board and staff members are all thankful for the previous officers’ contributions shepherding us to where we are today–particularly that of former board chair Barbara Johnson. With Paul, Paula, and Ken, we are excited to see how the organization will continue to grow and prosper in the years to come.”

Paul Thornell is currently a principal at Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas. Thornell brings over 20 years of experience serving in leadership roles in non-profit organizations, the White House, Capitol Hill, presidential campaigns, and the private sector. His work in policy, politics, regulatory, and advocacy arenas has provided him with a distinct variety of perspectives and shows a record of demonstrated results in government, philanthropic, and corporate sectors.

Paula Boyd is currently a Senior Director at Microsoft Corporation, where she partners with colleagues to develop Microsoft’s communications policy positions and advocates those positions before the Federal Communications Commission, Congress, and the administration. At Microsoft, Paula champions policy frameworks that advance cloud and communications services involving issues such as spectrum, broadband, VoIP, robocalling, accessibility, and satellite policy.

Kenneth Jones is the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the MacArthur Foundation. He is responsible for all aspects of the finance, accounting, tax, audit, information technology, grants management, administrative services, core services, and facilities functions for the Foundation. He also serves as the Chief Equity Officer for the foundation. In addition, Ken implements and evaluates the MacArthur foundation’s financial objectives and performance to support MacArthur’s priorities and programs.

Read their full bios here.

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About the Joint Center

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, America’s Black think tank, provides compelling and actionable policy solutions to eradicate persistent and evolving barriers to the full freedom of Black people in America. We are the trusted forum for leading experts and scholars to participate in major public policy debates and promote ideas that advance Black communities. We use evidence-based research, analysis, convenings, and strategic communications to support Black communities and a network of allies.