“Helen’s exemplary leadership and expertise will be difficult to replace. But with every change new horizons unfold. Helen leaves a very strong foundation for ADAMHS to continue to thrive,” said Victor McCarley, chairman of the ADAMHS Board of Trustees. “Montgomery County ADAMHS has become a strong organizational model.”
Jones-Kelley came to national prominence during the 2008 presidential campaign while director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services when she approved background searches on Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, known as “Joe the Plumber,” after he questioned the tax policies of then presidential candidate Barack Obama.
Numerous investigations into the incident, including by the Ohio Attorney General’s office and the Ohio Inspector General’s office, concluded the searches were not for legitimate reasons. Jones-Kelley resigned in December 2008.
Before joining Montgomery County ADAMHS, Jones-Kelley served as the special assistant for external affairs to the president of Central State University, where she also served as university counsel and secretary for the Board of Trustees.
Jones-Kelley was the assistant legal director of the Montgomery County Juvenile Court, where she implemented the Court Appointed Special Advocate program to prepare volunteers to serve as guardian at litem in legal proceedings.
She served on numerous boards during her career, including for Sinclair Community College, Dayton Children’s Hospital, Montgomery County Family and Children First Council, Parity Inc. and OnMain Inc.
She is the co-founder of Clothes That Work and the African American Women’s giving Circle.
Her work has been recognized with multiple honors including the YWCA Women of Influence Lifetime Achievement Award, the Urban League Pillar Award, the John E. Moore Sr. Diversity Lifetime Achievement Award and the Service Leadership Award from the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce Leadership Dayton, among others.
Jones-Kelley earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Dayton School of Law and her undergraduate degree from Miami University.
Her last day with Montgomery County ADAMHS will be Feb. 5, 2026. Jones-Kelley or representatives from ADAMHS did not respond to requests for comment about the replacement process.
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