Meet Daviess County Coroner: Jeff Jones Exceptional advocate for organ and tissue donation

Jeff Jones has served as Daviess County Coroner for the past 10 years. Born and raised in Daviess County, Kentucky, he graduated from Owensboro Catholic High School and attended Eastern Kentucky University.  

Jeff began his career as a patrol deputy with the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office in 1985, and in 1994 was re-assigned as a Detective within the Sheriff’s Office. Five years later he was promoted to Chief of Investigation, supervising the daily operations of criminal cases, including narcotics. In 2007 Jeff was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, Chief Deputy and in 2010 he was officially sworn in as the Daviess County Coroner. 

He has completed numerous training courses from the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice and Federal agencies and is committed to promoting community education and awareness around behaviors which can lead to unnecessary deaths. Jeff has been active within his community by serving on several boards, which include Daviess County OASIS; Daviess County Agency For Substance Abuse; Owensboro Daviess County Technical Advisory Committee; County Heights Elementary School PTO; Lincolnshire North; St. Pius Parrish Council; Owensboro Right to Life; and River Valley for Behavioral Health. Additionally, he was appointed by Governor Steve Beshear to the Kentucky Agency for Substance Abuse Policy and then reappointed by Governor Matt Bevin.

Over the past decade as Daviess County Coroner Jeff has become a dedicated champion for Donate Life Kentucky affiliates and their mission to promote organ, tissue and cornea donation, as have his deputies. “We are advocates for donation awareness, and the donation itself, because they have the power to positively impact those in need throughout our community,” he states. “My thought process is ‘if I had a family member or friend who needed a transplant, I would do everything in my power to help him or her’, which is also the philosophy of my entire office.”

Jeff is married to Michelle Foster Jones and they are the proud parents of four children, Amanda, Josh, Caitlin, and Nathan, as well as five grandchildren, Max, Luke, Wyatt, Addison, and Caroline. Jeff and Michelle have been members of St. Pius Catholic Church for over 30 years.

Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates mission is to provide organ and tissues to those in need and to maintain a profound respect for those who gave; For more information visit kyorgandonor.org. The mission of the Kentucky Circuit Court Clerks’ Trust For Life is to inform, educate, and encourage Kentuckians to register as organ and tissue donors to save lives; For more information visit trustforlife.org. Both nonprofits partner closely to educate and improve the lives of Kentuckians through organ donation and transplantation.