
Charlene R. Jones currently holds the position of Account Services Supervisor for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe’s Pharmaceutical Network (PRxN).
In 2000, Charlene was elected by the membership to serve as one of the seven elected tribal government officials to serve on the Tribal Council, the governing body of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation.
Prior to her election she held the position of Assistant Executive Director of the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center, promoted in 1994 where she had served as the first and only Tribal Member Librarian (1990). As the Assistant Executive of MPMRC, she was involved in the day-to-day construction of the permanent facility, which led to its grand opening in August of 1998; and has been distinguished as a state-of-the-art museum with an expansive layout covering 306,000 sq. ft.
As a Tribal Council member, she was Chair of the Historical & Cultural Preservation Committee, Health & Human Services Committee, the Tribe’s Utility Authority and President of the Preston Plains Water Co. Additionally, Charlene served as a board member on the following: Tribe’s Pharmaceutical Network Co., New England Foundation of the Arts, State of Connecticut Indian Affairs Council, State of Connecticut Indian Education Council, and New London Multicultural Magnet School. Charlene provided testimony at the White House Conference on American Indian Libraries and Information Services. Former board member for Lawrence and Memorial Health Care Cooperators (now Yale Health Care), Work Force Violence Prevention Committee, and Chair of the Personnel Committee for United Community & Family Services formerly known as UCFS.
As the Chair of the Historical and Cultural Preservation Committee, Charlene led efforts to revitalize the Pequot Language project. She worked diligently to oversee research efforts and curriculum development for multigenerational use by the tribal community. She also hosted the biennial MPTN Pequot Language Conferences, which attracted linguists and indigenous speakers from throughout North America and Canada. She partnered with the American Indian Film Institute in an effort to offer tribal youth the opportunity to learn digital filmmaking as a contemporary effort of oral storytelling traditions. Through her efforts she championed legislation to protect sacred sites, cultural sites, including the protection of unmarked native cemeteries working in conjunction with local municipalities and state officials.
Serving as Chairwoman of the Health and Human Services Committee under her leadership and advocacy, the Tribal Council adopted an extensive and comprehensive lifelong health plan for children with special needs, bringing together health care professionals, parents of special needs children, elders, and insurance provider. She also created the Mashantucket Pequot Foster Care Program recognized by the State of Connecticut, which entered into an education and outreach recruitment campaign to recruit and train foster parents as well as “Forever Families” focusing on adoption. Ms. Jones is a foster parent herself.
Ms. Jones secured funding from the US Department of Health and Human Services for the Tribe’s Y’ahsha’sh Program (Pequot word for breath), a collaborative project working in conjunction with Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation representatives, Ledge Light Heath District, and United Community and Family Services. Ms. Jones also secured a Vocational Rehabilitation Grant, under the 2002 Vocational Rehabilitation Services Project for American Indian with Disabilities. This historic accomplishment required the collaboration of four Connecticut tribes to create the first federally-funded American Indian Rehabilitation Program in New England. Ms. Jones also helped secure a national Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) grant in 2004. The MPTN Vocational Rehabilitation program has been operating since 2002, serving more than 150 American Indians with disabilities by providing counseling, services, and ultimately securing gainful employment.
Ms. Jones was presented with the National Indian Health Board’s prestigious “Local Impact Award” in 2005 at its annual NIHB Consumer Conference, held in Phoenix Arizona. The Local Impact Award acknowledges an individual/organization affecting health care at the local level/tribal level. And Ms. Jones recognized for her numerous accomplishments in these areas on behalf of the Tribe. Specifically, she was cited for her work with tribal children, particularly those with special needs; her work on behalf of tribal members with disabilities. Other successful tribal health campaign under Charlene’s directive was aimed at reducing asthma and lung cancer, two major health problems of American Indians in New London County.
Ms. Jones was responsible for implementing and overseeing a Tribal wide community health needs assessment. This comprehensive needs assessment was developed and implemented using computer technology and participatory research methodology. The results of this needs assessment led Charlene to successfully seek funding from Office of Minority Health, CDC, Komen Foundation, Lance Armstrong Foundation, SAMHSA and the CT Heath Foundation implement prevention and intervention programs addressing Cancer, Substance Abuse, Effective Parenting Skills, Asthma and Tobacco Control including Children’s Mental Health, securing a Circles of Care Grant in 2006.
She also has been instrumental in developing education and awareness on Domestic Violence working with the Clifford Beers Clinic in New Haven to develop and create an annual conference “Healing the Generations”, addressing family violence and childhood trauma.
As Chair of the Mashantucket Pequot Utilities Authority, responsible for on and off
reservation utility infrastructure, service and delivery, including domestic water and waste water treatment and distribution to off reservation commercial customers. Under her leadership she secured the first and only Water-Reuse permit issued by the State of Connecticut. Which is currently being used to irrigate the tribally owned Lake of Isles Golf Course in Ledyard, CT. Taking leadership over the pursuit of alternative and renewable energy sources, she led efforts to secure two grants from DPUC for the MPTN.
A recent recipient of the NIHB Award, Charlene was recognized for her ongoing contributions on behalf of tribal children, particularly those with special needs. Under her shrewd diplomacy and iron clad advocacy, the Tribal Council has adopted an extensive and comprehensive lifelong health plan for children with special needs. She was instrumental bridging health care professionals, parents of special needs children, elders, and insurance providers to establish a comprehensive policy. Charlene has firsthand experience as a foster parent and is a member of the Tribe’s Child Protection Team.
When Ms. Jones received her “Impact Award” she was lauded: Charlene has an incredible amount of energy and is committed to providing health and social services to tribal members, other minority and at-risk groups. Her belief embodies the notion that all American Indian should have access to culturally competent health care providers, this belief has led her to champion the inclusion of all state and federally recognized Indian living in Connecticut into the Mashantucket health and social welfare programs. She is recognized in states of Connecticut and Rhode Island as a Pequot woman with vision; a true leader an inspirational advocate for American Indians.” Ms. Jones was appointed by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council in March of 2015 to serve a three year term on HRAC (Health Research Advisory Council) for the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services serving as a representative for 33 tribes in the Nashville area. This council was created to address health disparities in Indian Country by supporting collaborative research efforts between U.S. HHS and Tribal partners.
In addition to her legislation focusing on improving the quality of life and connection to cultural heritage for all tribal members, Mrs. Jones also focuses in engaging her time to development of community service. She has sponsored legislation spawning volunteerism and secure funding to launch Habitat for Humanity SECT. She also works to lead fundraising efforts for several local and national charities on the MPTN reservation.
Prior to taking her seat on the Tribal Council, Charlene was named the Assistant Executive Director of the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center in 1994. As the Executive Director, she was involved in the day-to-day operations of the facility, participating in the supervision of all divisions including the research library, public program and marketing and development.
Charlene is proactively engaged in the MPTN tribal community by leading efforts on economic self-sufficiency, tribal self-governance, education, injury control and prevention, active advocate for access and service delivery for her community. She has served on several tribal standing committees such as: Education, Injury Control (now Public Safety), Work Readiness, Housing, Child Protection Team, Emergency Action Team and involved in the planning and build out of the Tribe’s Child Development Center.
She is a graduate of Three River’s Community College, Eastern Connecticut State University where she graduated with Honors. She continues to strive for retaining safety and health matters as a primary focus of her education. Charlene builds upon her educational portfolio by garnering several OSHA Certificates from OSHA Region One Training Center through Keene State College and is a Safety and Health Specialist in Fire Prevention and Life Safety, General Industry, Construction; she also holds Certificates from Federal OSHA Training Institute Education Center – earning certificates in Public Sector Safety (General Industry &Construction), in furthering her education pursuits, she has recently completed training earning a certificate from the Department of Homeland Security- Emergency Management Institute, FEMA for Incident Command System.
Charlene is married to her husband for over 25 years, Michael, and is a proud mother of five children and the grandmother of seven grandchildren.
In 2000, Charlene was elected by the membership to serve as one of the seven elected tribal government officials to serve on the Tribal Council, the governing body of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation.
Prior to her election she held the position of Assistant Executive Director of the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center, promoted in 1994 where she had served as the first and only Tribal Member Librarian (1990). As the Assistant Executive of MPMRC, she was involved in the day-to-day construction of the permanent facility, which led to its grand opening in August of 1998; and has been distinguished as a state-of-the-art museum with an expansive layout covering 306,000 sq. ft.
As a Tribal Council member, she was Chair of the Historical & Cultural Preservation Committee, Health & Human Services Committee, the Tribe’s Utility Authority and President of the Preston Plains Water Co. Additionally, Charlene served as a board member on the following: Tribe’s Pharmaceutical Network Co., New England Foundation of the Arts, State of Connecticut Indian Affairs Council, State of Connecticut Indian Education Council, and New London Multicultural Magnet School. Charlene provided testimony at the White House Conference on American Indian Libraries and Information Services. Former board member for Lawrence and Memorial Health Care Cooperators (now Yale Health Care), Work Force Violence Prevention Committee, and Chair of the Personnel Committee for United Community & Family Services formerly known as UCFS.
As the Chair of the Historical and Cultural Preservation Committee, Charlene led efforts to revitalize the Pequot Language project. She worked diligently to oversee research efforts and curriculum development for multigenerational use by the tribal community. She also hosted the biennial MPTN Pequot Language Conferences, which attracted linguists and indigenous speakers from throughout North America and Canada. She partnered with the American Indian Film Institute in an effort to offer tribal youth the opportunity to learn digital filmmaking as a contemporary effort of oral storytelling traditions. Through her efforts she championed legislation to protect sacred sites, cultural sites, including the protection of unmarked native cemeteries working in conjunction with local municipalities and state officials.
Serving as Chairwoman of the Health and Human Services Committee under her leadership and advocacy, the Tribal Council adopted an extensive and comprehensive lifelong health plan for children with special needs, bringing together health care professionals, parents of special needs children, elders, and insurance provider. She also created the Mashantucket Pequot Foster Care Program recognized by the State of Connecticut, which entered into an education and outreach recruitment campaign to recruit and train foster parents as well as “Forever Families” focusing on adoption. Ms. Jones is a foster parent herself.
Ms. Jones secured funding from the US Department of Health and Human Services for the Tribe’s Y’ahsha’sh Program (Pequot word for breath), a collaborative project working in conjunction with Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation representatives, Ledge Light Heath District, and United Community and Family Services. Ms. Jones also secured a Vocational Rehabilitation Grant, under the 2002 Vocational Rehabilitation Services Project for American Indian with Disabilities. This historic accomplishment required the collaboration of four Connecticut tribes to create the first federally-funded American Indian Rehabilitation Program in New England. Ms. Jones also helped secure a national Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) grant in 2004. The MPTN Vocational Rehabilitation program has been operating since 2002, serving more than 150 American Indians with disabilities by providing counseling, services, and ultimately securing gainful employment.
Ms. Jones was presented with the National Indian Health Board’s prestigious “Local Impact Award” in 2005 at its annual NIHB Consumer Conference, held in Phoenix Arizona. The Local Impact Award acknowledges an individual/organization affecting health care at the local level/tribal level. And Ms. Jones recognized for her numerous accomplishments in these areas on behalf of the Tribe. Specifically, she was cited for her work with tribal children, particularly those with special needs; her work on behalf of tribal members with disabilities. Other successful tribal health campaign under Charlene’s directive was aimed at reducing asthma and lung cancer, two major health problems of American Indians in New London County.
Ms. Jones was responsible for implementing and overseeing a Tribal wide community health needs assessment. This comprehensive needs assessment was developed and implemented using computer technology and participatory research methodology. The results of this needs assessment led Charlene to successfully seek funding from Office of Minority Health, CDC, Komen Foundation, Lance Armstrong Foundation, SAMHSA and the CT Heath Foundation implement prevention and intervention programs addressing Cancer, Substance Abuse, Effective Parenting Skills, Asthma and Tobacco Control including Children’s Mental Health, securing a Circles of Care Grant in 2006.
She also has been instrumental in developing education and awareness on Domestic Violence working with the Clifford Beers Clinic in New Haven to develop and create an annual conference “Healing the Generations”, addressing family violence and childhood trauma.
As Chair of the Mashantucket Pequot Utilities Authority, responsible for on and off
reservation utility infrastructure, service and delivery, including domestic water and waste water treatment and distribution to off reservation commercial customers. Under her leadership she secured the first and only Water-Reuse permit issued by the State of Connecticut. Which is currently being used to irrigate the tribally owned Lake of Isles Golf Course in Ledyard, CT. Taking leadership over the pursuit of alternative and renewable energy sources, she led efforts to secure two grants from DPUC for the MPTN.
A recent recipient of the NIHB Award, Charlene was recognized for her ongoing contributions on behalf of tribal children, particularly those with special needs. Under her shrewd diplomacy and iron clad advocacy, the Tribal Council has adopted an extensive and comprehensive lifelong health plan for children with special needs. She was instrumental bridging health care professionals, parents of special needs children, elders, and insurance providers to establish a comprehensive policy. Charlene has firsthand experience as a foster parent and is a member of the Tribe’s Child Protection Team.
When Ms. Jones received her “Impact Award” she was lauded: Charlene has an incredible amount of energy and is committed to providing health and social services to tribal members, other minority and at-risk groups. Her belief embodies the notion that all American Indian should have access to culturally competent health care providers, this belief has led her to champion the inclusion of all state and federally recognized Indian living in Connecticut into the Mashantucket health and social welfare programs. She is recognized in states of Connecticut and Rhode Island as a Pequot woman with vision; a true leader an inspirational advocate for American Indians.” Ms. Jones was appointed by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council in March of 2015 to serve a three year term on HRAC (Health Research Advisory Council) for the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services serving as a representative for 33 tribes in the Nashville area. This council was created to address health disparities in Indian Country by supporting collaborative research efforts between U.S. HHS and Tribal partners.
In addition to her legislation focusing on improving the quality of life and connection to cultural heritage for all tribal members, Mrs. Jones also focuses in engaging her time to development of community service. She has sponsored legislation spawning volunteerism and secure funding to launch Habitat for Humanity SECT. She also works to lead fundraising efforts for several local and national charities on the MPTN reservation.
Prior to taking her seat on the Tribal Council, Charlene was named the Assistant Executive Director of the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center in 1994. As the Executive Director, she was involved in the day-to-day operations of the facility, participating in the supervision of all divisions including the research library, public program and marketing and development.
Charlene is proactively engaged in the MPTN tribal community by leading efforts on economic self-sufficiency, tribal self-governance, education, injury control and prevention, active advocate for access and service delivery for her community. She has served on several tribal standing committees such as: Education, Injury Control (now Public Safety), Work Readiness, Housing, Child Protection Team, Emergency Action Team and involved in the planning and build out of the Tribe’s Child Development Center.
She is a graduate of Three River’s Community College, Eastern Connecticut State University where she graduated with Honors. She continues to strive for retaining safety and health matters as a primary focus of her education. Charlene builds upon her educational portfolio by garnering several OSHA Certificates from OSHA Region One Training Center through Keene State College and is a Safety and Health Specialist in Fire Prevention and Life Safety, General Industry, Construction; she also holds Certificates from Federal OSHA Training Institute Education Center – earning certificates in Public Sector Safety (General Industry &Construction), in furthering her education pursuits, she has recently completed training earning a certificate from the Department of Homeland Security- Emergency Management Institute, FEMA for Incident Command System.
Charlene is married to her husband for over 25 years, Michael, and is a proud mother of five children and the grandmother of seven grandchildren.