Operation New Hope Announces New Board Leadership

February 23, 2022

Operation New Hope Announces New Board Leadership

Jacksonville, Florida – Operation New Hope today announced a new board chair and three new board members who will help the nonprofit’s mission to provide training and support to people impacted by the justice system to reconnect them to the workforce and reduce recidivism.

“We are excited to expand our board with three new members who will bring diverse expertise and insight to our work,” said Operation New Hope’s President Reggie Fullwood. “We have worked diligently to ensure Operation New Hope’s board and leadership represents a variety of experts from the justice system, industry partners, and community-based organizations, and the newest board members are no exception.

Operation New Hope also chose Bank of America’s Coley Jones as its new board chair. Jones is the Business Banking Market Executive for North Florida, South Georgia and Gulf Coast, where he leads local market client teams to help local companies grow, improve cash flow and invest for the future. He has served on the ONH board since June 2020. “Operation New Hope is a place that inspires and empowers families to see what is next and create a sustainable lifestyle,” Jones stated.

“I am personally delighted to welcome such a strong group of new board members, and I look forward to service with each of them in the coming year,” said Peter O’Brien, Wealth Advisor for Morgan Stanley and immediate past chair of the ONH board. “I’m also very pleased that Coley Jones will lead the next chapter of our work in his new role as board chair. Coley has demonstrated exceptional commitment to advancing Operation New Hope’s mission, and we are looking forward to his leadership.”

The new board members who began their board service with Operation New Hope effective February 22, 2022 are:

• Stephen Colson, Captain at St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office
• Harold Craw, General Manager of Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
• Chester Spellman, President of CW Spellman Consulting and former Director of AmeriCorps State and National

Board Chair Jones added, “On behalf of the board, I want to express our gratitude to Leslie Jean-Bart who has concluded her service as a valued board member, and to Peter O’Brien who provided strong board leadership for the past three years. We wish Leslie all the best and look forward to Peter’s continued service.”

“It’s very exciting to see the incredible talent of new board and staff members joining the ONH team!” added ONH Founder and CEO Kevin Gay. “And the timing couldn’t be better with the great opportunities now before us!”

To learn more about Operation New Hope’s board and read member bios, please click here.

# # #

With over 20 years of experience in providing job readiness training and reentry services in Northeast Florida, Operation New Hope is a leader in the field. We have built our reputation and track record on the belief that we all deserve a second chance. Our Ready4Release, Ready4Work, and Ready4Success programs create opportunities for people with a criminal history to become productive, responsible citizens saving taxpayers millions of dollars by avoiding repeated high costs of incarceration, dramatically improving public safety and reuniting families. We build stronger communities by creating opportunities through strategic partnerships with local businesses, community-based organizations, workforce alliances, educational institutions, and the judicial system. To learn more, please visit www.operationnewhope.org.

Media Contact:
Amanda Mahan, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications
904.576.2967
amahan@operationnewhope.org