2/24/2021
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Monica Jones, former associate dean of students and chief diversity officer for Marietta College, has been named the first Chief Equity Officer in COTA’s history. Jones will oversee the conception, design, implementation, growth and evaluation of the organization’s strategy surrounding equity, diversity, and inclusion. She also will partner with leaders to develop and implement strategies, programs, policies and metrics that successfully attract, retain and advance diversity within and outside COTA. 
“This new leadership position at COTA will help hold our organization accountable in our commitment to factor equity, diversity and inclusion into every decision,” said COTA President/CEO Joanna M. Pinkerton. “Monica’s two decades of EDI experience will help COTA implement best practices to provide inclusive opportunities for our team and equitable mobility options and services for our diverse community.”
At Marietta College, Jones provided key campus leadership on initiatives designed to ensure inclusive excellence on campus with an intentional focus on underrepresented populations, including first-generation, low-income, and racial or ethnic minority students. She also collaborated with college offices to contribute to the development and delivery of learning experiences, workshops, and presentations designed to foster and support the inclusion of individuals and groups in the campus community. Prior to her tenure at Marietta, Jones served at Berea College as director of the Black Cultural Center and at Ohio University as director of diversity for regional campuses and as director of student services.
“I am thrilled for this opportunity to align my professional growth and personal aspirations in the inaugural position of Chief Equity Officer at COTA,” Jones said. “It is a privilege to join a team that understands that equity and inclusion will be the pathway for employee engagement, company confidence and talent acquisition. I look forward to contributing my skills and abilities towards the larger organizational mission to move every life forward.”
Jones is a native of Zanesville. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Zoology and Master’s Degree in Higher Education from Ohio University.