Michele Jones
Rtd. Command Sergeant Major
U.S. Army Reserve, Fmr. Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense
Areas of Expertise: Leadership Development, Strategic Planning and Operations
Brief Biography: Michele S. Jones is the first woman in the United States Army Reserve to reach the position of Command Sergeant Major of the U.S. Army Reserve.
She is the first female non-commissioned officer to serve in the highest enlisted position of a component of the U.S. Army, active or reserve, and was at one time the highest-ranking African-American female enlisted person in any branch of the United States military, as well as the highest-ranking enlisted African American in the Army Reserve. Jones served as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense. After retiring from the Army in 2007, she continued her service as Director of External Veterans/Military Affairs and Community Outreach under President Barack Obama. Her contributions have been recognized with numerous accolades, including the Legion of Merit and induction into the Army Women’s Foundation Hall of Fame in 2014.