Charitable Peachy: Exclusive Interview with Kelly E. Jones, Chairwoman of the Young Friends Board and Trustee of Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center
Kelly E. Jones is a graduate of University of Virginia and an attorney at Harris Beach PLLC in New York City. In 2005, she was approached by an Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center Trustee to help spearhead a Young Friends initiative for the organization. Ms. Jones has been a Young Friend Board Member since the group's inception in 2005 and served as the Events Chair from 2007-2008. In 2008, Ms. Jones became Chairwoman of the Young Friends Board and in 2009 joined the Board of Trustees.
The Young Friends is a group of young professionals whose goal is to raise awareness for the children of the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center. The Young Friends have hosted fabulous fundraising events over the past few years at places such as the Salander-O'Reilly Galleries, Rubin Museum of Art, and Harold Pratt House. Peachy Deegan interviewed Kelly E. Jones for Whom You Know.
Peachy Deegan: What or who has had the most influence on your pursuit of excellence?
Kelly E. Jones: My Dad, who passed away while I was in law school. He was my biggest cheerleader and exemplified that hard work and personality can take you very far in life. He gave me the mantra I live by - keeping an exciting enough life to have great stories makes people interested in you, but being able to tell those great stories makes people remember you.
What are you proudest of and why?
I am most proud of my charity work with the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center. Because of the hard work and success of the Young Friends, I was asked to serve on the Board of Trustees, an honor I am very proud of.
How is the young friends component of this charity structured, what are your goals both immediate and long term, and how can people become involved?
The Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center is a wonderful organization that caters to a wide diversity of low income children and their families and is committed to changing the lives of medically fragile children. The majority of children at the Pediatric Center cannot walk, eat or breathe without assistance, and most require assistive devices to move, feeding tubes for nutrition, and a tracheotomy or ventilator to breathe. The Young Friends of the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center is a group of New York young professionals committed to raising awareness for these children through volunteerism and fundraising. The Young Friends are comprised of board members, overseen by a Leadership Circle. I welcome anyone interested in joining the board to get in touch with me. The work we do makes a big difference to the children, and it is great to be a part of an organization where you can actually see first-hand the benefits of all the hard work.
What is your favorite place to be in Manhattan?
The Frick.
What is your favorite shop in Manhattan?
ABC Carpet.
What is your favorite drink?
Pimm's Cup at Employees Only.
What is your favorite restaurant in Manhattan?
Do I have to pick one? It is so hard to choose! I guess if I had to pick one, I would say Mas Farmhouse.
What is your favorite Manhattan book?
On the Road by Jack Kerouac.
If you could have anything in Manhattan named after you what would it be and why?
An airport because I spend so much time there (plus I think it would be cool that people all over the world would say "I'm flying to Kelly Jones today.")
What is your favorite thing to do in Manhattan that you can do nowhere else?
Eat a slice of amazing artichoke pizza at 3am after a night of dancing at Avenue!
What is your favorite Whom You Know column and what do you like about it?
Of course I am biased, but my favorite would have to be NIGHTLIGHT or Charitable Peachy since they included the wonderful review of my event, NIGHTLIGHT: The Young Friends of the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center Successfully Host Going Gatsby: Putting on the Ritz for the Children of Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center.
What else should Whom You Know readers know about you?
I'm a trial lawyer, primarily defending pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies in mass-tort litigation. I am also a wanderlust, I especially love traveling to wacky off-the-wall places....my last trip was to Azerbaijan!
How would you like to be contacted by Whom You Know readers?
