PARADISE >> Having already served as the mayor of Paradise once, Jody Jones was likely prepared to take up the mantle again — but nothing could have prepared her for what would happen next.

After nearly a decade of public service in Paradise following her retirement from Caltrans, Jones had a good grasp on the ins and outs of municipal leadership, which was a saving grace following the Camp Fire that violently burned through the town during her second term. Paradise needed a strong leader overnight, and Jones was thrust into that role where she would stay for yet a third term as the town moved from devastation to confusion to recovery.

To the dismay of much of the town, Jones died last Saturday, leaving many to comment on her legacy and reflect on powerful moments as she oversaw many aspects of what was at the time the largest wildfire in California history.

Longtime friend of Jones and fellow Paradise Rotary member Pam Gray noted the constant dedication Jones showed to the town as she served on both the council and the planning commission. “She invested so much of her retirement time into the town, which was amazing to me,” Gray said. “It takes a certain type of people to be our leaders. Especially at a local level, because everyone has access to you. I’m always grateful someone when someone wants this job.”

Jones and Gray were both long-time Rotarians together and worked on various projects. Gray said Jones delved deeper into her commitments after the Camp Fire struck. “This woman lost everything,” Gray said. “Her sister lost everything, her friends are displaced, and what does she do? She gets a new house, fills it with furniture and never misses a beat on the recovery of the town. Most of us couldn’t figure out what we were doing next, and she’s out there still representing all of us.

“She worked tirelessly. I think we’re so fortunate she was in the position she was, retired and on the council, when the fire happened.” Jones worked with Caltrans for 34 years and had been the manager of District 3 for 13 years when she retired. Jones began her time on the council in 2014 when she was appointed after three years on the Planning Commission. After finishing out the term, she put her hat in the ring each cycle through 2022.

After the fire

Despite the heavy burden of the Camp Fire, Jones took on a third term as mayor throughout 2019. The fire was over, but then came the daunting task of where to go next with 90% of the town gone. Former Paradise Post editor and reporter Rick Silva worked with Jones frequently in the months following the Camp Fire. “Jody was really good to work with from a media perspective,” Silva said. “I know she took a lot of criticism post-Camp Fire, but I’ve got to say there was no playbook for how to recover from something like that.”

Major decisions began to flood the council, and these ranged from property cleanup to eventually determining what the town would look like going forward. Jones and her council were tasked with deciding what would be appropriate for damaged lots and temporary housing such as RVs. Pressure came down on the town from all directions to keep recovery moving at a steady pace. “I think she handled it about as well as anyone could have handled it since there was nothing she could use as a guide,” Silva said. “She had to write the book on how to recover from this kind of fire. There’re going to make mistakes because you don’t know what you don’t know.

“Looking back, I thought she offered pretty good leadership at the time. It’s on it’s way to recovery, and I don’t think it gets to this point without her leadership at that time.”

Though 2019 marked her last stint as mayor, Jones remained on the council through 2022, when she chose not to run again.

Sewer project

Even before the fire, the town of Paradise had been working on the long-term goal of connecting a portion of the town to Chico’s sewer system. “She was key in getting the sewer in Paradise,” Silva said. “No way that happens without Jody Jones.”

Jones spearheaded much of the project form the council standpoint alongside councilor and former mayor Steve Crowder. The two ran together in 2018 and eventually became close friends over the years. “It was my honor and privilege to work with Jody Jones, and it was my honor and privilege to say she was a very close friend of ours,” Crowder said. “She and I were on the sewer committee, which was a big part of what we did, and we worked together on that the whole time we were on the council together.”

As it stands, the sewer project is well underway and is the first in the state to forego the traditional bid process in favor of a new method in which planning and construction work together in tandem in an effort to streamline the project and keep everyone on the same page. The project has been years in the making and is expected to begin construction by 2026.

Municipality

Many expressed shock and sadness after hearing the news of Jones’s passing.

Department heads who have worked with her over the years provided statements based on their time with Jones and what she meant to the town from the lens of government.

Paradise Public Works Director Marc Mattox said he’ll remember her advocacy for the town in the years following the Camp Fire and the time she put in long before the fire even occurred.

“Jody Jones is tremendously missed and will always be regarded as someone who was incredibly strong and caring,” Mattox said. “Long before the 2018 Camp Fire, Jody was an excellent leader through her successful career with Caltrans and time with us on the Paradise Town Council. Obviously, in the aftermath of the fire, Jody was fearless and determined more than ever to share her love for Paradise. “Jody was such an advocate — not only for our community but also for Town staff, including myself. I’m so grateful to have known Jody and to have seen an amazing example of how to turn passion into action through brave leadership.”

Recovery and Economic Development Director Colette Curtis knew Jones long before the fire but worked with her extensively on recovery efforts. “I met Jody when I started working at the Town of Paradise and Jody was serving on the Planning Commission,” Curtis said. “She was not a traditional politician. Over the decade I have known Jody, I found her to be smart, exacting and a woman who always said exactly what she thought, regardless of the reception it might receive. She cared deeply for the Paradise community and did her best to make hard choices that she felt were in the community’s best interest.

“I feel honored to have known Jody and to witness her fearless leadership through the darkest chapter in Paradise history. I believe the success that has been achieved in our recovery is attributable largely to her unwavering belief in Paradise as a community that deserved to be rebuilt and thrive.” Crowder detailed his friendship with Jones as they worked together for four years on the council. “We RVed together, we boated together, and Jody was an absolute gourmet cook,” Crowder said. “She loved to cook and she was wonderful at it. Whenever she would call and ask my wife and me to come over for dinner, we’d say yes. She was a wonderful person to be around.”

Silva summed up his memory of Jones simply: “Jody’s contributions to the town were huge, and they shouldn’t be forgotten.”

Jones, survived by husband Ron and extended family, will be remembered in memorial service Friday at 10:30 a.m. at Paradise Alliance Church.