Candidate Profile-Donna M. Jones
Birth Date: Jan. 14, 1939
Profession: Idaho State Controller, Realtor & Small Business Owner (retired)
Educational Background: Treasure Valley Community College, GRI (Graduate of Realtors Institute) designation, CRS (Certified Residential Specialist) designation, and CPM (Certified Public Manager)
Public Service: 12 years in the Idaho House of Representatives, 8 years as Executive Director of the Idaho Real Estate Commission, and nearly 4 years as Idaho State Controller
Community Service: IBR Woman of the Year, Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO) board of directors and treasurer, American Legislative Exchange Council’s (ALEC) Idaho Chairman and national board of directors, Idaho March of Dimes Outstanding Woman of the Year, Idaho Hispanic Commission board member, Idaho Housing & Finance Association advisory board member, Idaho Permanent Building Fund advisory council member, Multi-State Tax Commission member, and vice chairman of the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers (NASACT) International Committee
Marital Status: Widowed
Family: Husband of 43 Years, Don (deceased in 2000); 3 children; 6 grandchildren; 1 and soon to be 2 great-grandchildren
Hobbies: Reading, remodeling my home, fishing and traveling
Why are you running for office?
Idaho needs an experienced Controller – one that can do more with fewer resources, partner with other agencies to save money, and provide timely and accurate financial information to citizens and elected officials. I’m seeking a second term to finish the work I’ve started and to ensure we have a proven, trustworthy and capable leader in the State Controller’s office.
What do you see as the three biggest issues you’ll face?
The three biggest issues I face as Idaho State Controller are: Idaho’s economic climate - which impacts funding for projects important to citizens like transparency, working with other agencies to cut costs and gain efficiencies, and retaining and recruiting top-quality employees.
If elected, what steps will you take to resolve these issues?
Idaho’s Economy: Just like Idaho’s families, state government must live within its means. When I took office in 2007 I started reducing our staffing, cutting costs, and aligning our resources to better serve the people of Idaho, all the while making government finances more transparent. If reelected, I will continue this work.
Gaining Efficiencies: So far, we have worked with ITD to consolidate their mainframe computer into our datacenter; extended the life of Idaho’s accounting systems by years, saving millions of dollars; and helped consolidate IT operations by providing services like equipment and application hosting, disaster recovery, and partnering to share costly software. If reelected, I will continue this work.
Quality Employees: Like any other business, success depends on having quality employees. Because of our good management practices, we have a very low turnover rate in our office. By providing a high quality work environment, we are able to compete with industries that can pay higher wages for skilled accounting and payroll professionals and computer programmers.
What specific skills or experience qualify you for this job?
Above all, the Controller must be honest, a strong manager, and selflessly serve the people of Idaho. She must have a diversified background, strong interpersonal skills, successful experience in business, and a thorough understanding of governmental operations. She must also possess knowledge of land management practices, and have a solid grasp of the constitutional and statutory duties of the office.
Why should voters elect you, rather than your opponent?
I’m considerably more experienced than my opponent, better prepared to serve Idaho’s people, and have a greater understanding of the duties of the office. Unlike my opponent, I have a proven record in state agency management. I also have more successful business experience than my opponent, and my legislative service gives me a broader understanding of the process of governing.