Amid a total reorganization of the Defense Advisory Committee, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced a new lineup of members, including Florida investment leader Ken Jones.
The federal agency announced Jones and 12 others will sit on the panel, first established in 1985 to provide independent strategic advice and recommendations to the Defense Department’s Secretary and Undersecretary of Policy.
The Committee will be chaired by former U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, with former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman, a Minnesota Republican, serving as Vice Chair. The membership includes Netscape founder Marc Andreesen, who has invested heavily in the defense and aerospace sectors, and other longtime leaders in Republican politics and business.
Jones has also been active in the political world, currently sitting on the Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the State University System. In the private sector, he is the founder and Chair for Keyhole Partners, a global investment firm. He’s also the founder and managing partner of Third Lake Partners and TL Capital, global financial firms focused on alternative investments. He previously founded the Chicago-based commercial real estate firm Fairbourne Properties.
Jones also boasts credentials on Capitol Hill, serving as chief counsel and Deputy Chief of Staff from 2003 until 2007 to U.S. Sen. Trent Lott, a Mississippi Republican and former Senate Majority Leader, and to the Senate Rules and Administration Committee. Jones practiced law in Washington, including serving as Deputy General Counsel from 1999 to 2001 for the Republican National Committee, as noted by Legistorm.
During his tenure in Washington, he worked on national security and intelligence issues in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He welcomed the opportunity to be involved once more in advising the federal government on issues of national security.
“It’s an honor to serve the administration in this capacity and to be offered the opportunity to serve alongside such a talented and distinguished group of American patriots,” Jones said in a statement provided to the Tampa Bay Times.
