Obama to nominate Pilot's publisher for HUD post

President Barack Obama intends to nominate Maurice Jones, the publisher of The Virginian-Pilot, as deputy secretary for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the White House announced Friday.

Jones, 47, has been publisher of The Pilot since April 2008.

He has served as commissioner of the Virginia Department of Social Services and deputy chief of staff to then-Gov. Mark Warner. At the U.S. Treasury Department, Jones was special assistant to the general counsel. While at the Treasury, he also served as legal counsel to the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund and as director of the fund during the Clinton administration.

Jones will remain as publisher of The Pilot during the nomination process, said Mike Abernathy, president of Landmark Publishing Group and Landmark Community Newspapers LLC. Jones sits on the newspaper's editorial board and will not participate in any political endorsements the board makes during the nomination process, Abernathy said.

In a statement, Warner, now a U.S. senator, called Jones a "strong manager with a love of public service."

"Maurice was especially effective at building consensus and solving big problems," Warner said. "One of the biggest challenges we still face is the housing problem, and HUD will certainly benefit from Maurice's intellect, his proven management experience and his great people skills."

In the role as deputy secretary, Jones would manage HUD's day-to-day operations, including the department's more than $40 billion budget and more than 8,500 employees.

Jones, who declined to comment on the nomination, joined Landmark in March 2005 and the following January was named vice president and general manager of the newspaper.

"We have nothing but positive things to say about Maurice," Abernathy said. "And obviously other people think as highly of him as we do."

Abernathy said it would be too soon to comment on a replacement for Jones if he is confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

A native of Kenbridge in south-central Virginia, Jones graduated at the top of his class at Hampden-Sydney College, then went to Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship. He received a law degree from the University of Virginia and worked for the law firm of Hunton & Williams.

If confirmed by the Senate, he would succeed Ronald C. Sims, who retired.

Pilot writer Bill Bartel contributed to this report.

Josh Brown, (757) 446-2318, josh.brown@pilotonline.com