Written by Amy Rogers

Growing up in urban Richmond, Va., Lee Jones couldn’t have imagined the path that would lead him to a career in architecture and ultimately, the directorship of the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department.  

As a boy, he noticed the concrete buildings around him were cold in winter and hot in summer. In middle school, he was selected to take part in “A Better Chance,” a government program that sought out promising minority students and funded their education at the country’s most exclusive college preparatory schools. Jones chose Groton School in Massachusetts.