By OSWALD T. BROWN
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 10, 2022 –His Excellency Wendall Jones, Bahamas Ambassador to the United States, continues to demonstrate that Prime Minister Philip E. Davis made an excellent decision when he appointed him as The Bahamas’ top diplomat in the United States on February 17, 2022.
This week at the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, California, Ambassador Jones confirmed this fact beyond a shadow of doubt as a member of The Bahamas’ delegation at the Summit, held from June 8-10 at the at Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles.
While Prime Minister Davis did an outstanding job as head of the delegation — interacting with leaders of some of the various countries attending the Summit, including United States President Joe Biden – Ambassador Jones utilized his considerable skills as one of The Bahamas’ leading journalists to network with participants in the Summit.
This, of course, does not come as a surprise to Bahamians, who have followed the career of Mr. Jones as he established a Communications Empire in The Bahamas.
As I noted in an article in BAHAMAS CHRONICLE in November of 2021 when speculation was rife that Mr. Jones would be appointed Ambassador to the United States, he is indeed one of the most accomplished journalists in The Bahamas.
For the past three decades, Mr. Jones, CEO of Jones Communications, pioneered the creation of enterprises that have changed the face of Communications in The Bahamas.
Jones Communications is a media conglomerate that includes a television station, JCN Channel 14; a radio station, LOVE-97; The Bahama Journal newspaper; and Jones Publications, publishers of several Bahamian books.
Publications include The Bahamas’ best-selling book, “The One Hundred Most Outstanding Bahamians of The 20th Century” as well as its compendium, “Bahamian Legends” Volumes I and II. He also produced books on “The Parliament” and “Independence And Beyond” for the Government of The Bahamas.
Mr. Jones began his career as a journalist with The Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas (BCB) in 1972. His training took him to the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill campus in Barbados; WTVJ (Channel 4) Miami, Florida; and The Voice of America, Washington, D.C.
Mr. Jones has spoken in a number of Seminars on Media in the Caribbean and the Americas, including seminars on Globalization and The Media Looking To The 21st Century, sponsored by the World Media Association in Washington, D.C., and on Communication, Globalization and Democracy, held at Ciespal in Quito, Ecuador.
Mr. Jones and his organization became a preeminent leader in Broadcast Communications in the Caribbean, producing and disseminating programmes which are uplifting and intellectually stimulating. Their streaming services have given Jones Communications an international footprint.
In his work in broadcasting, Mr. Jones hosted two of The Bahamas’ most popular current affairs radio and television programmes, “Jones and Company” and “Issues of The Day”. He has conducted exclusive interviews with many world leaders, including the late Baroness Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of Great Britain; many Caribbean Prime Ministers; former U.S. Secretary of State, the late General Colin Powell, and former Commonwealth Secretaries-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Sir Shridath Ramphal and Baroness Patricia Scotland.
Jones Communications celebrated the 25th anniversary of LOVE-97 radio station in September of 2019.
Mr. Jones’ work and accomplishments, of course, have been recognized by The Bahamas. He was given the Silver Jubilee Award – the Nation’s highest award – in recognition of his Outstanding Contribution to National Development in Broadcasting. Mr. Jones was also named a Paul Harris Fellow by The Rotary Foundation International and was recognized by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority for his achievements in the area of Media. He was named the McHari Institute Publisher of the Year in 2002; the Acklins Business Professional of the Year and the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce Businessperson of the Year for 2003.
Mr. Jones has also been awarded two Honorary Degrees — one a Doctorate in Humane Letters from Virginia University in Lynchburg, Virginia, and the other a Doctorate in Literature from Virginia Seminary of Christian Education.
In 2004 Mr. Jones received a Special Award from The Central Bank of The Bahamas in recognition of valuable contributions to the Bahamian community. In 2005, he received the Leadership and Communication award from Toastmasters Clubs in The Bahamas in recognition of his stellar standard of excellence set in the dissemination of information in The Bahamas. He also received the 2014 Pioneer Award from The Bahamas Press Club for Excellence in Journalism, Broadcasting and Newspaper Publishing.
With such a stellar background, it was predictable that he would have a powerful impact as a diplomat in Washington, D.C., one of the world’s most powerful cities, where virtually every country in the world has diplomatic representation.
More importantly, given The Bahamas’ extremely close geographic position and historical ties to the United States, Mr. Jones’ background indeed is further evidence that Prime Minister Davis made an excellent decision in appointing him Bahamas Ambassador to the United States and Non-Resident Ambassador to Colombia and Malaysia. He took up his post on March 14, 2022.
