Alex Jones is a fellow at Brookings Metro, where he focuses on regional competitiveness and economic development strategy. His current research examines the implementation and impact of a growing federal portfolio of place-based investments.
Prior to joining Brookings, Jones served at the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), where he led the Build Back Better Regional Challenge, a $1 billion competition funded by the American Rescue Plan Act. He also advised on the early implementation of EDA’s Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs program, and worked across government to align federal investments in place-based innovation.
Previously, Jones was an officer with the Philadelphia Research and Policy Initiative at The Pew Charitable Trusts and, earlier, he managed the Local Democracy Initiative at the National League of Cities.
Jones earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Political Economy from Georgetown University. He lives in Philadelphia.