We're excited to feature 35-year-old State Representative Shevrin Jones. Representative Shevrin D. Jones, Florida House District 101, better known as “Shev” was elected to the Florida House of Representative, unopposed in 2012, and subsequently in 2014 and in 2016.
He is the Founder of LEAD Nation, one of South Florida’s top youth organizations for leadership development training. In its 10 years of youth empowerment, LEAD Nation still maintains a 100% high school graduation rate among its participants. Through his passion to be a catalyst for education and social change, Representative Jones and the LEAD Nation team instills in every youth that they have a responsibility to serve their communities with honesty, integrity and passion. Jones is also the Founder of the South Florida Youth Summit, the largest gathering of young people in South Florida, bringing in more than 2,000 youth over the course of 3-day weekend summit.
Representative Jones attended Florida A&M University where he received his Bachelors of Science degree in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology. He holds a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership, with a concentration in Higher Education from Florida Atlantic University. He is now pursuing his doctoral degree in Educational Leadership, concentrating on policies that hinder the matriculation of black and brown students from high school to college. Prior to becoming a legislator, Representative Jones served as an AP Chemistry teacher. Jones believed that teaching was his calling, and whenever he entered a classroom, it was always with the mindset that “Every child CAN learn.”
Representative Jones is also very involved locally, state-wide, and nationally. He is a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Leadership Florida Class 32, Leadership Broward Class 27, the South Florida Youth Summit’s Executive Planning Team, and the Council of State Governments TOLLS fellowship program, to name a few. He has been recognized with numerous awards and accolades including a feature in Gold Coast Magazine’s “Top 40 under 40,” the Margaret E. Roach Humanitarian Award from the Urban League of Broward County, Legacy Magazine’s “Top 40 under 40 Leaders of Today and Tomorrow,” the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Fort Lauderdale’s Finest, a Congressional Political Institute Honoree, ICABA’s 100 Most Accomplished Caribbean Americans, 2015 Florida Young Democrat of the Year, and Broward Parent Teachers Association’s Legislator of the Year.
Representative Jones is committed to working with others, reaching across the aisle, to do the work of the people in his district, and for the State of Florida. He has been able to put politics aside and pass meaningful legislation even while being a member of the minority party. Some of Jones’ bipartisan legislation includes: safety and oversight for Athletic Coaches for Youth Athletic Teams, Police Body Cameras, and advocating and procuring funding for youth mentoring. In 2018, Shevrin came out as gay, making him Florida's first openly gay African American legislator, and works relentlessly to protect the LGBTQ community from discrimination in housing and employment.
Shevrin is a steadfast supporter of the YEO Network, regularly attending national convenings and serving as a supporter and mentor for Front Line Leaders Academy fellows. He is among the many Florida YEO members excited to welcome our national membership to Miami for our 2019 National Convening.
Thank you for all you do, Shev!
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