Assistant City Administrator Vincent  Jones left in 2011 to become city administrator for nearby Seat Pleasant, Md. Photo courtesy City of Hyattsville.
Assistant City Administrator Vincent Jones left in 2011 to become city administrator for nearby Seat Pleasant, Md. Photo courtesy City of Hyattsville.

BY PAULA MINAERT — After more than three years on the city staff, Assistant City Administrator Vincent Jones is leaving to take over as city administrator for the nearby town of Seat Pleasant.
But, he said, he is not leaving the community. “I own a home here in Hyattsville. That won’t be changing. I hope to still be an involved community member, just in a different way.”
Originally from Petersburg, Va., Jones came to Hyattsville from Evanston, Ill., where he was assistant to the city administrator. He has a graduate degree in public administration from Florida State University.
He said a lot has happened in his time here. He has been busy since he walked in the door – and that, he said, has been a good thing. Jones’ favorite part of the job was the wide array of projects he was able to work on, from launching the city’s website to overseeing the efficiency study and implementing the pilot trash program.
Jones said residents across every demographic have expressed at public meetings that they like the small town feel of the city and the convenience of being in an urban area. He added that he shares this view.
He also said, “The community is undergoing some change because of development and therefore expectations have changed about what the city provides the community.”
As far as challenges go, he pointed to what he called the long-standing issue of how to best communicate with the different demographic groups here.
“I think we are doing a great job trying to use different formats to reach people and get the word out,” he said, “but we never have a real confirmation that we’re reaching people where they are.”