By John E. Settle, Jr.
Steffon Jones has served on the Caddo Commission since Nov. 29 of last year.
He was selected as the interim commissioner for District 6 following the resignation of Lynn Cawthorne.
The election is on the November ballot to complete the term ending in January 2024.
Jones is a graduate of Captain Shreve High School and East Texas University.
His "day job" is actually a night job as a maintenance supervisor for SporTran.
His "God's job" is serving as the senior pastor at New Morning Glory Baptist Temple in Mansfield.
Jones has been an active member of the commission since his appointment, and his perspective as a newcomer has been a breath of fresh air.
He has refused to get into the traditional Democrat-Republican battle lines that often bog down action by this body. Looking through God's eyes, Jones is color-blind in his comments and votes.
Jones has expressed extreme concern over violence in the community and the involvement of juveniles. He advocated for more sports opportunities for local youths and their parents, who often take them to out-of-town sports events.
To his credit, he maintains a congenial relationship with all the other commissioners, even when he is not on the same side of the issue.
Jones often states he was not part of the past disputes, and he is receptive to learning on his own versus following party lines.
Jones had previously run for the office, losing to Cawthorne. His selection as the interim was an excellent choice by the commission and a well-deserved one.
To date, no opponents have surfaced to oppose Jones, who will be a formidable candidate.
Hopefully, Jones will run unopposed.