Ocean City Housing Authority honors its former "rock star"

The Ocean City Housing Authority said a fond farewell to its former executive director during a retirement ceremony Tuesday that honored her for reforming what had been a troubled agency plagued by financial and operating difficulties.

Jacqueline Jones, who took charge in 2017, stepped in at a time when the authority was reeling from an embezzlement scandal involving her predecessor, former Executive Director Alesia Watson.

Watson was removed as chief executive in 2017 after she admitted she had embezzled federal housing funds to pay credit card bills for personal expenses. Federal prosecutors said between $6,500 and $15,000 was lost in the scheme. Watson was sentenced to three years of probation.

In only a year at the helm, Jones was credited with stabilizing the authority’s finances and management following Watson’s troubled reign. An auditor who analyzed the authority’s finances in 2018 labeled it a “remarkable” turnaround.

Bob Barr, the authority’s chairman, noted during the retirement ceremony that he had introduced Jones to the rest of the board members as a “rock star” when she took over in 2017.

“I think that’s an appropriate way to close this out. You are a rock star,” Barr told Jones.

Barr, a former Ocean City councilman who now serves as a Cape May County commissioner, said the authority may not have even survived without the efforts of Jones and her staff.

“I don’t know if the Ocean City Housing Authority would be here today if it wasn’t for you. The work you and your team put in saved this authority,” Barr said. “We are indebted to you.”

During her remarks, Jones praised her staff, the board members and the professional consultants she worked with for all the help they gave her over the years.

“This was way beyond anything I expected,” she said of the VIP-type retirement ceremony.

    Jacqueline Jones addresses the housing authority's board members during her retirement ceremony.
  

The authority presented Jones with a resolution that noted her “extraordinary leadership, enduring vision, and transformative contributions to affordable housing in Ocean City and the surrounding region.”

“Since joining OCHA in 2017, Jones has been widely recognized for stabilizing and modernizing the agency following a period of significant organizational challenges. Under her leadership, the Authority experienced a comprehensive financial and operational turnaround, restoring public confidence and positioning OCHA for sustained long-term success,” the resolution stated.

Scott Halliday, the authority’s vice chairman, credited Jones for transforming the agency into “a model” for all of the public housing authorities in New Jersey.

“It has been a true pleasure and inspiration to have worked with you,” Halliday said.

While extending his thanks, Mayor Jay Gillian gave Jones a ceremonial piece of the Boardwalk as a memento of her work in Ocean City.

“I think Ocean City is a model, and everyone says that,” Gillian told Jones, while echoing Halliday’s comments.

Under Jones, the authority pursued a strategy of replacing antiquated, flood-prone housing developments dating to the 1960s with attractive new affordable housing complexes that blend in with the surrounding neighborhoods.

In 2021, the authority built the nearly $7 million Speitel Commons housing complex for senior citizens. The four-story building includes 32 units at the corner of Sixth Street and West Avenue. It was hailed as a success for integrating public housing with attractive architecture in the heart of downtown Ocean City.

    The Speitel Commons senior citizens housing complex in downtown Ocean City was one of the major projects overseen by Jacqueline Jones.
  

The authority recently started construction on its most ambitious project ever, the 60-unit Pecks Beach Village affordable housing development featuring 15 duplex-style buildings on the north side of Fourth Street.

The authority awarded a $23 million construction contract for the Pecks Beach Village project in 2024. After working its way through the extensive preliminary steps and final funding arrangements, the authority finally broke ground in January and expects to complete the project in 2027.

Ron Miller, who had worked as a senior member of Jones’ staff, was appointed as the authority’s new executive director late last year.

Miller praised Jones for her leadership of the authority and her dedication to the residents who live in affordable housing complexes in Ocean City and other towns where she served as housing executive director.

“Jackie, you set each authority you served up for success. The residents you helped, the cities and boroughs you served, and the staff who worked under your leadership all recognize what a truly unique and capable leader you are,” Miller said.

“Throughout much of my career, I’ve had the privilege of working with strong-willed, capable, and deeply passionate women in leadership. Jackie led with strength, but also with compassion – demanding excellence while never losing sight of the people we served. She proved that accountability and empathy are not opposites; they are partners,” he continued.

Beyond her work in Ocean City, Jones simultaneously served as executive director for multiple housing authorities, including Vineland, Cape May and Buena Borough. Through an innovative shared-services model, she played “a key role in shaping broader conversations around affordable housing solutions throughout southern New Jersey,” the Ocean City Housing Authority said in statement.

Keith Lafferty, chairman of the Cape May Housing Authority, said Jones’ leadership was also pivotal in reforming that agency when “things weren’t always steady.”

“Jackie, you did it right, and all of us thank you for that,” Lafferty said.

    Jacqueline Jones is given a ceremonial piece of the Boardwalk by Mayor Jay Gillian to thank her for her work in Ocean City.
  

Near the end of the ceremony, Miller presented Jones with a collage showing all of the public housing authorities she had led as executive director. It included the words, “The career of ‘Rock Star’ Jacqueline Jones.”

Miller expressed confidence that Jones has left a legacy that will allow the next generation of public housing leaders to follow her “stewardship, accountability and vision” and have “a clear understanding of the responsibility that comes with this work.”

“You have left fingerprints on every property, every policy, every staff member, and every resident whose life you’ve touched. The buildings will stand for decades. The policies will evolve. Leadership will transition. But the standard you set – the expectation of excellence, integrity, and compassion – will remain,” Miller said.

“You didn’t just manage housing authorities. You strengthened communities. You didn’t just supervise staff. You developed leaders. And you didn’t just hold a position. You carried a responsibility that you honored every single day,” he concluded.