Darryl Jones ’73 has begun his term as the new Chair of the Board of Trustees for St. Louis U. High following the end of previous Board Chair Joe Jedlicka’s term. 

Jones’s impressive academic and professional lives have demonstrated his unique qualifications for the position of the Chair of the Board of Trustees. Jones graduated from SLUH in 1973 and proceeded to major in mathematics at Saint Louis University. Upon graduation from college, he pursued teaching for a short time before joining Southwestern Bell. There, he initially worked with early iterations of modern fiber optics cables before moving up to the company’s finance department. In 1994, Jones left Southwestern Bell to create his own food and beverage company—D&D Concessions—which he still currently oversees.

In addition to these qualifications, Jones’s continued dedication to the school since graduating makes him an ideal leader in this position. Jones has experienced SLUH as a student, a parent of two students, a donor, and a Board member. He previously was the chair of the Board of Budget and Finance, and later was the vice-chair of the entire Board, where he served before acquiring his current position. 

“He’s been an excellent committee chair, an excellent vice-chair, and he is a high-character individual who loves SLUH,” said President Alan Carruthers. “We’re very blessed to have him.”

There are a number of subcommittees of the Board of Trustees, including the Ignatian Identity committee, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee, and the Academic Affairs committee. Each of these committees are led by their own chairs, who meet quarterly with the Board of Trustees, and various motions are put forward to be acted upon in these meetings.

Jones will take on a multitude of new responsibilities with his new position as the Chair of the Board of Trustees. He must acclimate himself to the workings of other committees and oversee them so that they act according to school bylaws, develop appropriate agendas, and adequately address any issues that arise within SLUH or the surrounding community.

“If there’s some activity I feel passionate about, and I believe it is in line with St. Ignatius’s values, I will address it whether that is feeding the hungry or sheltering the homeless,” said Jones. “I will be on the front lines making sure that these things get done, because they are what St. Ignatius would have done.”

During his time as Chair, Jones hopes to both continue to uphold the strong legacy of Ignatian values within the school and to continually adapt with the changing needs of SLUH students as well as the broader community. 

“(The Board of Trustees) will stay on target with the school’s strategic plan, whether that involves our endowment and advancement efforts or upgrading the facility. As we get those together then we will look at what the future will hold,” said Jones. “The world is constantly changing and we have to make sure that we’re changing with it in the right way.”