USDA Honors Founder of Fresh Communities Holding Corporation

Bio Michael Jones

Michael Jones has been the Chief Executive Officer for Fresh Communities Holding Corporation of DC (FCHC), a Washington DC Metro Area urban agricultural food company, since June 2016. The mission of Fresh Communities Holding Corporation is to end food insecurity worldwide through an integrative ecosystem of education, distribution, marketing, and innovative technology to reduce food costs and increase food access.

As the Chief Executive officer Mr. Jones is responsible for Job Creation – New Industry Training-Food preparation through efficient urban (ESTEAM) agriculture systems and a distribution network through farmers’ markets, grocery stores, restaurants, community partnerships, and other entrepreneurial pathways. His responsibilities include developing Integrated public education strategies and establishing Urban Food Hubs across various urban neighborhoods that identify as “food deserts.” 

Through Fresh Communities Holding Corporation, Mr. Jones has developed high-efficiency food preparation sites that utilize bio-intensive, aquaponics, and hydroponic production methods in urban communities, coupled with education and food programming to offer new options for families to gain access to healthy foods and learn more about healthy living through community engagement.  

Mr. Jones utilizes the following business model for Fresh Communities Holding Corporation:

• First Harvest Club, a membership-based program, provides delivery service of fresh food products,
• Fresh Community Holding Corporation Wholesale Group, a Wholesale LLC that focuses on providing fresh produce to local retail and restaurants at wholesale prices, and
• Farmer Markets On Wheels, working in urban food hubs offering quality foods, new jobs, and ensuring food security in urban communities.

Mr. Jones has also served as the Chief Executive Officer for Farmers Market On Wheels Inc., since Dec 2015, located in the Washington D.C. Metro. A Washington D.C.-based distribution corporation that distributes Water Farm Fresh hydroponic and aquaponic organic vegetables, fruits, and fish products and is part of a cooperative partnership between Anacostia Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) and the University of The District of Columbia’s College for Urban Sustainability & Environmental Sciences (CAUSES).

Atop all this, Mr. Jones has been the Managing Member and Chief Marketing Officer of The Foster-Jones Group for more than r 10 years.  Mr. Jones is responsible for advertising and digital marketing strategy in this capacity. His Talents in marketing and advertising have taken him into the media business as Vice President of Marketing & Sales at Music One, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland Area, where he led the marketing and sales department for the national record label, Music One.

Education

Mr. Jones holds a bachelor’s degree from Frostburg State University in Business Administration Marketing, where he was Quarter Back – Varsity Football 89 – 93, served as Varsity Captain  91, and was recognized as MVP of NCAA Division III Championship – 92. Mr. Jones was also a  member of the Frostburg State University Black Student Alliance 91 – 93

He holds several Certifications in the:

Microsoft – PowerPoint Presentation Development Expert -Microsoft

To learn Certificate of Sales Broadcast Sales & Marketing –

Marketing & Management- The George Washington University Healthcare Innovation and Entrepreneurship-Duke University

Food Safety’s Manager-District of Columbia Department of Health

Mr. Jones graduated from Crossland High School with a Diploma in Math & Science/AP 1985 – 1989

Mr. Jones is married to Cristen Jones and the proud father of a beautiful daughter, Londen Jones.

Back Story:

Michael R. Jones (Mike Jones)

Biography – Extended

 Born and raised in Washington, D.C.; lived and learned in Central Park, Seat Pleasant, MD; and graduated from Crossland High School in Prince George’s County, MD, in 1989, Michael Jones, AKA Mike Jones, has grown personally and professionally along with his city.

 In 1991, while attending Frostburg State University and the leadership of Head Coach, Coach Ricco, Mike became the first Quarterback, that happens to be black, to lead Frostburg State University to their first-ever ECAC National Football Championship.  Most notably, Mike earned Champion MVP and set 9 football records during his time there, with seven of those football records still standing today.  

 After graduating from Frostburg State University, Mike began his illustrious career by cold calling and meeting Tony Washington, then station manager of WOL/WMMJ Radio, who would later become a very influential person to many in broadcast media. 

 Meeting Tony Washington, AKA T Wash, changed Mike’s life.   After being asked a series of questions, Mike asked Mr. Washington if they were hiring.  Mr. Washington replied to Mike to figure it out and ended the call.  The next day, Mike showed up to the station polished, prepared, and armed with perseverance.  He waited two hours to meet with Mr. Washington. When they finally did, Mike left the office with two things: a job as the new assistant promotion director and a lifelong confidant and mentor, Tony Washington.

 After a couple of years, it was through the Radio One expansion that Mike began to make a reputation for himself in the world of radio and records.  After Radio One acquired WKYS-FM, Mike was placed in charge of WOL-AM. WMMJ-FM and WKYS-FM’s promotions department. 

 There, he led the departments creating substantial revenue-generating station promotions and events such as the WMMJ Stone Family Picnic, the WKYS World’s Largest Office Party, The Reebok Urban Suburban deal, Whitney the free money honey, WKYS slogan Vote Yes KYS, and the co-managed WMMJ-FM largest wedding (Tanya Byrd and Pat Jones), held on Valentine’s day in the Pentagon City Mall, marrying over 100 couples, to name a few.

 Mike was the first promotion director to pitch the most aggressive and expensive annual marketing budget proposal to Radio One’s Senior Executive Leadership team and was awarded the entire $500k promotion yearly budget for one year from Radio One’s Executive Leadership Team. 

 In 1995, Mike became known for his ability to creatively develop and write original media promotions and marketing campaigns and execution of details which successfully yielded unrecognized and unexpected new revenue for the stations. Making his department noted for creating and generating non-traditional revenue streams that positively contributed to Radio One’s income earning reporting, just as they were becoming a publicly traded corporation and US’s most prominent African American broadcast corporation. 

 In 1997, Mike was the first to be promoted to Marketing Director of DC, creating the first Marketing Directors position and department for Radio One Inc – DC. Under his leadership, he managed over 26 direct hires and over 100 volunteers and team members.  In that role, Mike was recognized as one of the leading marketing brand professionals in the broadcast industry, awarded many awards, and gained national recognition.

 But with success comes growth.  In 1998, Mike stepped out on faith. Under the continuous guidance of Cathy Hughes and Tony Washington, Mike started the first of many successful entertainment marketing companies in the DC area.

 His first success stories were the Firm Entertainment Group LLC, The Nauden Jones Advertisement Group LLC, and ProVision 21 Distribution LLC.

The Firm Entertainment Group was one of Washington DC’s pioneering urban marketing agencies.  They led brand development projects creating, imaging, and launching brands such as The BET Soundstage Restaurant Division, Armstrong William’s The Right-Side Brand and Appointed marketing firm for President George Bush’s National Faith Initiative, managed by Bishop Harold Ray along with the top leading pastors across the country in the urban community. 

The Nauden-Jones Group, an advertising firm, where Mike convinced Kevin Lyles, president of Def Jam Music, to become their first major national client for media buying.   Def Jam Media Group, led by Russell Simmons, retained The Nauden-Jones Group to create notable advertisement campaigns for many of Def Jam’s leading artists. 

With Provision 21, Mike’s first product distribution company, which distributed Experience Unlimited’s “Um Bop Bop” and “Bounce” projects, taking records to number one on DC radio charts, leading albums sales and national recognition; and The Best of Russ Parr and Olivia Fox among a few of the most successful projects emerging out of Provision.  But the most noted accomplishment of Provision 21 was successfully creating the grassroots brand and distribution campaign launching Music One’s JeffMajors Scared Series, which sold over 100,000 records leading to Music One’s successfully signing at Sony Entertainment Group. 

 Mike also headed the marketing department and assisted in negotiating the Dark City Records, Washington DC’s first nationally recognized record label, a distribution deal with Tom Silverman from Tommy Boy Records.  In addition, he assisted in organizing and implementing initial brand development strategies and tours for the first three years of Dark City Record’s project deal.

 Mike also has ten years of television broadcast marketing, producing, and production.  While serving as the Marketing Director at WTVD Channel 11 in Durham, NC, Mike created a television special, Home Is Where The Green Is, a television broadcast special showcasing eco-friendly and sustainable home improvements.  The show aired Weekend 11a and earned WTVD over $80K and shared a 1.3 viewing rating. 

 Currently, Michael serves as the Managing Partner for The Foster-Jones Group, a marketing agency specializing in brand development, production, marketing and distributing, and digital content touching a wide range of topics and concerns in the urban community..  And is mainly focused on building Fresh Communities Holding Corporation and its subsidiaries.

 Follow Mike Jones on social media:  @fosterjonesgroup