Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

As Lowndes County says goodbye to Circuit Clerk Ruby Jones-Thomas, its citizens welcome Stephanie Powell Jones with open arms to take her place. Jones took the oath of office, administered by Circuit Judge Cleve Pool at the Lowndes County Courthouse, on July 31. 

“I was honored to be able to appoint and administer the oath of office to Stephanie Jones today,” Pool said. “She will have a tough task living up to the standards set by her predecessor, Ruby Jones-Thomas. I am confident that Stephanie will do a great job for the citizens of Lowndes County and the court system.”

Jones began her career working in the Butler County District Attorney’s Office under Van C. Gholston in 1989. She then moved to Tallapoosa County and worked in the circuit clerk’s office for seven years before being recruited to the Circuit Court Administration Office of Montgomery County, working as a help desk specialist for judges and clerks throughout the state. 

Jones spent the last 23 years working for attorney Jerry Thornton as his paralegal and running his office. 

“Today brings me full circle,” Jones said. “There have been a lot of people in this county that I’ve gotten to know who have supported me and helped me reach this goal, and I want to thank them. I want to thank the judges for giving me the opportunity to step into this role. The people in Lowndes County are so important, and I take this job very seriously. My goal is to make sure that they are treated fairly with kindness and empathy.”

Attorney Arlene Richardson expressed her excitement for Jones to be back in Lowndes County. 

“I’ve known Stephanie for many years, and she’s just a great person,” Richardson said. “She really does love the people, and she’s really good at letting people know that they’re cared about. So I think she’s going to be fabulous.”