DISTRICT 29I LIONS CLUBS
We are caring people who join together to take action to make our communiites better. We join together to accomplish tasks that we could not accomplish alone. We Serve. Being a Lion is about kearning to lead by example, building relationships, and improving ther world through kindness.
District 29I is one of three Districts in the Unitrd States of America in the state of West Virginia that make up Multiple District 29 (West Virgina ) of Lions Clubs International. District 29I are Lion and Leo Clubs located in the counties of Jefferson, Berekeley, Morgan, Hampshire, Hardy, Pendleton, Randolph, Tucker, Preston, Taylor, Barbour, Harrison, Lewis and Upshur Counties of West Virginia.
District Governor Gray Jones
Biographical Information for DG Gray Jones
Gray was born and raised in Winston-Salem, NC.
He enlisted in the Marines after one year of college at Wake Forest University. He served in Viet Nam from July '67 'til August '68 as a Patrol leader in 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, receiving a meritorious combat promotion to Sergeant. He ended his enlistment with 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion at Camp Lejeune, NC.
He returned to Wake Forest University and graduated with a BA in economics and then attended Rice University on a fellowship in economics.
Gray left Rice and went to Officer Candidate School at Quantico, VA. He was an Infantry Officer for the next 9 years, commanding multiple platoons and companies. He participated in the Evacuations of US Embassies in Cambodia and Viet Nam and supported the recovery of the SS Mayaguez from the Cambodians and the assault on Koh Tang Island in an attempt to rescue the crew. He served on the staff of Fleet Marine Forces Pacific and received an MBA from the University of Oklahoma. He served on the joint staff at the Pentagon performing Modeling and Simulation Analysis, and on the Naval Council of Personnel Boards where he was a recording secretary and was the aide to two Marine General Officers.
He resigned his commission and went to work for private industry, mostly DoD contractors. He worked as a Software engineer, a Systems Engineer, a Chief Engineer, a manager of projects and programs, a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, and a Director of Programs. He taught numerous engineering, project management, and Lean Six Sigma classes. He finished the last 25 years of his career with Northrop Grumman Corporation. He was also an adjunct professor of applied statistics for graduate students.
He has four daughters and two sons, six grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
Gray has been active in the Boy Scouts since 1992 serving as Den Leader, Scoutmaster, Unit Commissioner, and District Commissioner. He served on five Wood Badge staffs (advanced leadership training course for adult scouters) and is now a Chartered Organization Representative for Troop 121 in Berkeley Springs.
He has been in the Berkeley Springs Lions Club since 2013. He is an active member of American Legion Post 60's Tri-State Honor Guard.. He's also an active Master Gardener and teaches Gardening Technology classes to master gardener students. He's a coach of the Morgan County 4H clubs’ First Tech Challenge robotics team, teaches introduction to robotics to Elementary, Intermediate and Middle school students, is a Read Aloud volunteer with the Intermediate school, and delivers meals to home-bound seniors for the Morgan County Senior Life Services Center.
Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service club organization with more than 1.4 million members in approximately 46,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas around the world.
