Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 04: Governance
Series 09: Biography
Interim Executive Director
PRESTON JONES
Pine Mountain is pleased to announce the appointment of Preston Jones as Interim Executive Director of Pine Mountain beginning March 2, 2019. The following is the PRESS RELEASE sent from the School. Please join us in welcoming Preston to his new role with Pine Mountain Settlement School.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Pine Mountain Settlement School
Harlan County, Kentucky Announces New Interim Director
36 Highway 510, Pine Mountain, Kentucky 606 558-3571
https://www.pinemountainsettlementschool.com/

Pine Mountain, Kentucky February 21, 2019. Pine Mountain Settlement School will welcome Preston Jones in the position of Interim Director effective March 2, 2019, when Dr. Geoff
Pine Mountain Settlement School, one of the earliest rural settlement schools in the country, has regionally led the way in environmental education and community outreach. The non-profit institution in Harlan County has a strong history in its creative and innovative approaches to Appalachia’s many challenges. Combining the force of its rich history and folkways with new innovations and a deep commitment to education, Pine Mountain’s Directors have opened the door to opportunity for many.
Dr. Marietta has contributed solidly to this history, and Preston Jones has lived it.
Deeply connected to the natural and cultural heritage of the region, Preston Jones was born and raised in Harlan County. He comes to the position with solid experience already invested in Pine Mountain Settlement School. He holds a degree from the University of Kentucky in Plant and Soil Sciences and is currently finishing The Master of Public Administration program at Eastern Kentucky University.
Preston moves to the position of Interim Executive Director from his former position of Assistant Director, which he has filled since 2016. In this position, he worked closely with former Director Geoff Marietta on many projects particularly those associated with agriculture. For example, his work with Grow Appalachia, a regional sustainable agriculture program resulted in significant contributions to the development of programs at Pine Mountain Settlement School. He secured over $200,000 in grant funding to significantly expand the school’s community agriculture program, helping over 300 individuals in the community to grow more than 180,000 pounds of food. He also promoted and secured a major grant to start a “Community Kitchen” which has brought many workshops and innovative foodways to the School while stimulating the local economy and talent. The campus kitchen program, under Preston ’s
An energetic and productive innovator, Jones said of his new leadership role
“… I am truly honored. Having grown up in Harlan County, I often wondered if there was a
future for me here. My experience at Pine Mountain has reinforced what I always knew to be true, there is a future for Harlan County and the region, and that Pine Mountain is uniquely positioned to pave the way forward… I’m excited about the trajectory of the School and look forward to working with you all to carry out your remarkable mission.”
Preston
Of his ongoing work with Pine Mountain Settlement School Jones says,
With an abiding love for my home region, I work every day to make our community a better place.”
For more information, contact Pine Mountain Settlement School at (606) 558-3571 on Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
General Inquiries can be made at office@pinemountainsettlementschool.com
For Programming, please contact: programming@pinemountainsettlementschool.com