Today we speak with Brian W. Jones, who currently resides in Woodbury, NJ (Gloucester County). Brian graduated from Glassboro State College in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in Administration Studies.
Brian Jones is the human embodiment of hard work paying off. He began his journey in banking at Glassboro State College, which would later become Rowan University, where he majored in Administration Studies. He described this program as parallel to Rowan’s current degree in Business Administration. While in this major, he studied Labor Relations and Law as his minors for the opportunity to gather the full scope of business knowledge. After attending classes at night at Glassboro State and working his way through college, Brian graduated with his degree in 1981.
He then took up an internship with the National Bank and Trust of Gloucester County. From there he officially started his career in banking. However, nothing comes for free. Brian started with a janitorial position at the bank. Since working as a janitor, Brian has worked in almost every other field within banking, such as marketing, retail, audit, business development and commercial lending. There’s not much that this man can’t do.
In August 2015, Brian took on his current position as president and director of The First National Bank of Elmer. His knowledge and compassion have led to a wholesome work environment for the whole staff. He believes in the “soft community bank model,” which establishes personal connections with customers so their questions and concerns can be heard.
He is currently an Executive Advisory Council member for the Rohrer College of Business at Rowan, where he aids in the effectiveness and outreach of the business school programs. Brian wants nothing more than to give back to the school that helped him achieve his dreams.
Brian’s accomplishments and character certainly do not go unnoticed. In 2018, he was named one of South Jersey Magazine’s Men of the Year. The Volunteer Center of South Jersey named him its Humanitarian of the Year in 2015.
In Brian’s wise words: “There is no substitute for hard work! You have to differentiate yourself from everyone else. It’s not just about your skill set, it’s about your emotional IQ and your ability to communicate.”
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Story and photography by:
Chad Wittmann, senior journalism major