RISMedia mourns the loss of longtime friend and team member James “Jimmy” Jones, who passed away unexpectedly on June 26, 2023. With the company since 2007, Jones was an integral part of RISMedia, handling a variety of critical responsibilities as the firm’s information technology manager.Â
“We all lost a wonderful colleague and friend, a person who always had a can-do, honest attitude,” said RISMedia Founder, Publisher and CEO John Featherston. “A dedicated family man, who lost his wife just a few years ago, Jimmy worked relentlessly to be a great dad to his daughter as they were rebuilding their lives together after their tragic loss. Jimmy will be sorely missed by all of us.”
According to RISMedia Chief Information Officer Ed Kingston, Jones’ IT manager title didn’t do justice to what he accomplished for the firm.
“Jimmy was the ‘Radar O’Reilly’ of our company,” said Kingston. “If you needed to know how something worked at RISMedia, chances are, Jimmy knew. He was the guy who set up your computer, and made all of that network magic happen. He kept track of our mailing lists and domains, and he was the person who would make sense out of the thousands of Power Broker Survey entries we received every year.”Â
RISMedia Executive Vice President Maria Patterson worked hand-in-hand with Jones to produce the company’s iconic annual Power Broker Report & Survey. “Jimmy’s dedication and attention to detail on this project, year in and year out, was second to none,” she said. “He cared deeply about the integrity and quality of this report, and made critical improvements to the process each year. I knew I had an unwavering, trusted partner in bringing the Power Broker Report to fruition. And that’s how Jimmy approached everything he did, big or small. He was an unassuming role model for all of us, and his kind heart, professionalism and positivity leave a lasting legacy.”Â
Kingston described Jones as having “a keen analytical mind,” able to troubleshoot the toughest of PC, MAC and network problems. “He loved technology and tinkering and figuring things out,” he said. “He never wore his technical expertise on his sleeve and never passed up the opportunity to explain how something worked or how he fixed a problem. He understood when people were upset and knew how to calm people down so that the problem could get solved.”Â
Business acumen and accomplishments aside, Jones was also a beloved member of the close-knit RISMedia family. “Time will march on and we will all deal with this loss in our own way, but we won’t forget our good friend, Jimmy Jones,” said Kingston.
Featherston echoed that sentiment on behalf of the entire company. “Jimmy Jones is and always will be a member of the RISMedia Hall of Fame and will be terribly missed by all of us.”
