Sharon E. Jones brings a rare combination to workforce equity and economic development: the discipline of a law firm employment partner, the strategic lens of a Fortune 100 counselor, and the operational savvy of a senior law firm executive and nonprofit leader.
She applies that experience where it matters most: designing talent pipelines, career development programs, and training initiatives that create opportunity for all and meet strategic business needs.
Sharon's consulting practice centers on building workforce systems that are both equitable and durable. She develops structured evaluation frameworks, stress-tests assumptions before scaling, and has a track record of turning high-potential programs into proven, replicable models. Throughout her corporate career, she led cross-departmental initiatives, elevated programs that outperformed expectations, and forged alliances around shared goals.
Her commitment to impact extends beyond her professional engagements. Sharon has held leadership roles on numerous nonprofit boards and served as President of the Harvard Law School Alumni Association, where she launched the HLSA Women's Alliance — an initiative that promotes mentorship, leadership, and professional advancement to increase the presence of women in positions of power across the world.
Education
Harvard Law School
Harvard College
Professional History
Chief Inclusion Officer/Employment Partner
Haynes Boone
Senior Counsel
Abbott Laboratories
Senior Counsel
AT&T
Executive Vice President
Chicago Urban League
Assistant United States Attorney
Inclusion and Economic Development Consultant
Opal Lee, the grandmother of Juneteenth, and Sharon Jones (2024)
“Creating a culture of inclusion requires a layered approach that starts with training, education, and the opportunity to participate—and then celebrating every win. It also takes commitment from leadership by including goals in strategic planning processes; and recognizing and rewarding individual contributions.”
Achievements and Honors
Designed an ABA-award winning pipeline program.
Improved performance in every category of Vault Inclusion rankings.
Designed and launched 10 inclusion groups, invited allies to join, and created a welcoming culture for all.
Led firm to top 20 ranking in diversity by AMLAW.
Cultivated a workplace culture that earned recognition by Bloomberg for diversity and transparency.
Led changes to meet higher Mansfield certification criteria.
15 years ago, Sharon wrote “Mastering the Game: Career Strategies for Success” to illuminate the unwritten rules of career success for women and diverse professionals. Today, it’s as relevant as it was then.