Marvia Jones
40 Under 40 Class of 2021
Kansas City, Missouri
Division Manager, Community and Family Health Education
Kansas City Health Department
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While prevention science and behavioral psychology posit that most poor health outcomes are preceded by structural conditions that do not support healthy choices and/or present unnecessary barriers, our institutions frequently place the bulk of responsibility upon individuals who are ill-positioned to bring about the necessary changes. My work has been dedicated to identifying, quantifying, and addressing the barriers to healthy living that exist at the local, state, and levels.
Three words to describe me:
wholehearted, determined, intentional
The best part of my job:
growing professionally while impacting the growth and learning of others
Something that would surprise others about me:
I have a favorite number (it's 8, followed by 88)!
Marvia Jones dedicates herself to identifying, quantifying, and addressing the barriers to healthy living that exist at the local and state levels. Of all her accomplishments, she is most proud of her efforts to bring the KC Blueprint for Violence Prevention into the public realm. While the plan was developed in partnership with the Prevention Institute and hundreds of other stakeholders, Marvia was able to transform the inputs into actionable strategies that all community sectors could implement immediately. The KC Blueprint has been adopted by the City Council and has been used by philanthropic agencies to develop funding agendas.
Marvia has also played a prominent role throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, developing evidence-based reopening guidelines for organizations.
Marvia received a PhD and MPH in community behavioral psychology from the University of Kansas, and a BS in chemical science from Florida State University, and she served as a CDC Evaluation Fellow.
