Gina Ortiz Jones
Gina Ortiz Jones, a first-generation American raised by a single mother in San Antonio, was taught early on about the importance of service by her family. She graduated from John Jay High School, and earned an Air Force ROTC scholarship that took her to Boston University. Jones served as an intelligence officer in the Air Force and deployed to Iraq. Upon separating from the Air Force, she advised on military operations in Latin America and joined the Defense Intelligence Agency as an inaugural member of U.S. Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany.
Gina went on to serve in the Executive Office of the President leading portfolios at the intersection of economic and national security. In 2021, President Biden nominated Jones and the U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed her to serve as the 27th Under Secretary of the Air Force, the first woman of color and first out lesbian to serve as the under secretary of any military department. For her service, she earned the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service, the department’s highest civilian award. Upon completing her appointment, Jones returned home to San Antonio in 2023.
She serves on the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Board of Directors, the The Asian American Foundation Advisory Council and is a Life Member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Jones has advanced degrees from Boston University, the University of Kansas, and the U.S. Army School of Advanced Military Studies.
Ran for:
House of Representatives
Location:
Texas
Status: Running for Mayor of San Antonio
Past LPAC Endorsement: 2018, 2020