Sue Jones receives County Commissioner honors

Carbon County Commissioner Sue Jones received the 2024 Riding for the Brand award from the Wyoming County Commissioner Association during the WCCA Winter meeting in December.

“I was very surprised and pleased,” Jones said about receiving the award. “ In my mind, that award has been historically given to people, like John Espy, that are going to Washington D.C. for the National Association of Counties and not somebody day-to-day in the trenches.”

Her work in the trenches and dedication to Carbon County are why Jones received the award – which she never anticipated to win.

"It was just a matter of accord, you got a job to do, you get it done and don't realize you are doing more than you think.” ~ Sue Jones

The Riding for the Brand award is given to the WCCA member who has gone above and beyond for their county, the WCCA and the state of Wyoming.

She couldn’t really say exactly what it was that separated her from the fellow eligible members of WCCA, she said

“We (WCCA) have people that do a lot more than I do,” Jones said. “I guess it’s just a matter of perspective, you don’t think you’re doing a lot, but maybe you are. It was just a matter of accord, you got a job to do, you get it done and don't realize you are doing more than you think.”

Over four decades of government work

In 1983, 23-year-old Jones had just graduated college with a bachelor's degree in psychology and didn’t know what to do next.

“You can’t do much with just a bachelors,” she said. “You need a masters or beyond and I was tired of school.”

One day she wandered into Whitney’s Saddle Shop and ran into the owner, David Pennock, who was also serving as the Mayor of Saratoga.

“He (Pennock) goes ‘why don’t you run for town council,’” Jones recalled, “so, I did.”

She spent eight years serving on the Saratoga Town Council and working with various civic organizations. Then she ran for County Commissioner and is begining her fourth term.

In some degrees, Government work is not as simple as it used to be, Jones said. She’s noticed changes over her 42 years spent in public service.

“There’s still the rules and regulation side,” Jones said. “When it comes to running for office, less people are involved because it’s so mean and complicated. Lots of people who serve don’t, oftentimes, learn the job. It takes a while to know your job.”

Jones’s advice to her younger self would be to learn the job, read the statutes and ask a lot of questions.

“Back in 1983,” Jones said, “it sounds terrible to say, but ‘the dumb woman’ phrase was used a lot back then and I made a deal that I was not going to be a ‘dumb woman.’”

In her own terms, Jones was a little obsessive about learning the job and still is.

“I never went to a meeting, ever, where anything surprised me, that I didn’t know the subjects or what was coming up because I was a little obsessive about knowing the job and asking questions all time.”

First ever Chairwoman of the Carbon County Board of County Commissioners

Jones didn’t have to climb any metaphorical mountains to become the first ever Chairwoman of the Carbon County Board of County Commissioners, she said.

Over her years of public service, Jones has had the privilege to work with a lot of really good men – “most of them encouraged me, not discouraged me,” she said.

“It’s how one as a female carries themselves too,” Jones said. “Be a smart woman, know your stuff, don’t be a victim, know your job, just do it and the respect comes your way if you demand that.”

“The whole government is still about We the People”

Jones’ soapbox messages are – participate, run for office and always vote, particularly in the primaries.

“The whole government is still about ‘We the People,’” she said.“If you’re not running yourself, support somebody who is. There should never be an unopposed position. We should never be heavy on one side or the other, which we’ve seen. There is a lot of the middle that has no voice. It goes back to we the people. We need to run and it matters.”