SUMMARY

Matt Jones’ life experience and personal background enables him to intuitively understand and empathize with the pressures that area families face. 

 Matt was taught about hard work and hope from his school teacher parents. Matt and his wife Shari are working to put a child through college. Matt has faced two cancers and come back stronger. The first of these cancers he faced without insurance coverage.

Matt’s deep legislative and public service experience comes from being a leader and innovator in the Colorado State House, open space planner and community volunteer. Matt’s life work has focused on protecting our environment. 

 These personal experiences, coupled with a proven record of leadership and the ability to provide new solutions, will be assets when serving the people of House District 12. 

Click here to view Matt's awards and recognitions from labor federations, non-profits and public agencies.

  PERSONAL BACKGROUND

Matt Jones grew up in Laramie, Wyoming and Greeley, Colorado where he learned to love the outdoors. Public service and hard work were instilled in him early from his parents.  His mother was a teacher and senior citizen advocate.  His father was a teacher and special education professor. Matt earned a bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Colorado State University in political science and natural resource policy.  He competed in professional mogul skiing tours.

Having survived two cancers, Matt knows what it is like to be knocked down, get back up and come back stronger.  He also knows what it is like to not have insurance and face a life threatening disease. His doctors say he will live as long as anyone.

A 10-year Louisville resident, he is married to Shari Heinlein, who has worked at finding better ways to help treat children with schizophrenia and is now a renewable energy advocate. His daughter Jessica is a University of Central Florida sophomore, so he and his wife know the challenges of paying for a college education. Their three cats Spell, Ari and Nina bring a lot of joy to their lives. Whenever he can find the time he enjoys traveling, hiking, skiing and crew leading on Volunteers for Outdoors Colorado projects.   

CANCER STORY

 At age 25 Matt was in great shape competing in professional mogul skiing.  However, while working on a congressional campaign he noticed his voice was getting hoarse. One October afternoon, after consulting with his doctor, Matt was told he had thyroid cancer.

Matt kept his hope up and faced the challenge. He immediately had surgery to remove his thyroid.  He put off the radioactive iodine treatment because there was a 1% chance of contracting leukemia. 

Unfortunately he did not have insurance.  Not knowing his cancer’s final outcome, Matt learned what it is like to be labeled medically indigent, plead to have bills reduced, and to pay bills off.  He decided to return to graduate school where he excelled and had his best mogul skiing years.

Years later he finished his radioactive Iodine treatment.  Several years later Matt felt run down and was losing vision because the blood was collecting in his eye.  He took a blood test.  He got a Friday afternoon call from a doctor he did not know.

Matt was told he had leukemia.

Matt was given a 40% chance of living past two years because he did not have a related bone marrow donor, and likely would not live more than five years.  Those horrible feelings came flooding back, but worse now because it was not just him. He did not know if he would see his daughter graduate from high school.  He did not know if he would become a burden to his wife.  But Matt kept his hope.  And he fought back.  He learned everything he could about how to beat the disease.  He learned he had a type of leukemia that could be treated by an oral drug only three months on the market with limited information on its effectiveness.  Within a year he was in remission.  Now six years later his recovery is so good doctors say he will live as long as anyone. 

As someone who has fought and beat two cancers, Matt knows what it’s like to be knocked down.   But Matt also knows how to face challenges, get back up and come back stronger.  And he has a deep understanding and empathy for the life challenges we all face.

Matt will fight for you and beside you with the same energy and commitment that he’s brought to his personal experiences.  We can renew our state and improve people's lives through hard work, compassion and opportunity. It is not going to be easy.  But it is worth the fight. Please join with Matt for this renewal.

 LEGISLATIVE EXPERIENCE

Matt Jones served three terms in the legislature and was proven leader with a track record of new solutions including work on environmental, health care and educational issues.

Matt Jones was elected to the State House in 1986 defeating a Republican incumbent during the Reagan Revolution years.  In 1988 Republicans could not find anyone to run against Matt. In 1990 Matt won with 67% of the vote. 

Based on his performance, Matt was chosen by his Democratic colleagues to be their Assistant Minority Leader after only one term.  Matt served on the 1991 Reapportionment Commission which drew the state legislative boundaries.   He co-founded and co-chaired the Democratic House Majority Fund. He served as the ranking Democrat on the Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources Committee, taking a lead advocacy role on environmental issues.

Matt was, and continues to be, an environmental leader.  He pioneered energy conservation performance contracting legislation creating jobs, saving money for schools and local governments, and reducing air pollution.  He played a pivotal role in enabling the state to set air pollution standards above federal levels to better protect Coloradans health.  To stop midnight dumping, Matt made it a felony to falsify hazardous waste manifests.  He worked to pass the Great Outdoors Colorado initiative that provides money for open space, trails and parks.

Matt also worked on health care issues in the Legislature.  He served on the Health, Environment, Welfare & Institutions Committee and the Joint Review Committee for the Medically Indigent. These committees addressed issues of health care affordability, access, and quality. He fought efforts to reduce the benefits of workers hurt on the job.

The importance of educational opportunity is part of Matt’s DNA. He fought for funding for smaller class sizes so students could get the attention they need to succeed.  He pushed through a bill that allows Coloradans to consolidate their student loans to help make payments.

Matt left the legislature in 1993 to focus on supporting his family.  His situation now enables him to return and his desire still burns to improve the state that he loves. 

ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERIENCE

Matt has a deep environmental record as both a leader and innovator.

 Matt pioneered energy conservation in the Colorado House. While there he pushed through legislation to allow cities, counties and schools to have businesses install energy conservation measures and pay for it with energy savings. "Performance contracting" now saves Lafayette $110,000 and Longmont $160,000 a year through energy savings. It also reduces air pollution and creates jobs.  He now wants to take the Boulder County ClimateSmart idea statewide to create local jobs and reduce air pollution.

At the legislature, Matt also worked to enable the state to set air pollution standards above federal levels, protect clean water with stronger hazardous waste dumping penalties, and pass the Great Outdoors Colorado to fund open space and trails.

Locally, Matt was awarded the Sierra Club Chief Niwot Award for helping to establish the Louisville Open Space Citizens Advisory Board, which he chaired for five years.

Matt is now an open space and trails planner and part-time wildland firefighter. He spearheaded the creation of Frontcountry Leave No a national environmental education program. He is a crew leader for Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado.