Cindy Jones believes in giving — to her family, her community and her school district.
Jones has been executive director of the Cabot Panther Foundation, the Cabot Public School District’s nonprofit organization, since 2015.
Founded in 2006, she said, CPF’s mission is “to support the educational purposes of the Cabot School District, including, but not limited to, funding research, education, athletic and other activities to promote public education.”
That mission is vital to the students and the school system the foundation serves, she said.
The foundation hosts a variety of fundraisers and hospitality events for members throughout the year, Jones said.
Fundraisers include the Cabot Hall of Fame Banquet, Dancing With the Cabot Stars, the Father Daughter Ball and the Cabot Panther Foundation Golf Classic.
“We also host hospitality evenings throughout the year during our football and basketball seasons for our members who invest in the foundation. As part of their membership, we provide dinner and an opportunity to come together and socialize before the home high school games,” she said.
Jones said the foundation and Centennial Bank recently contributed funds to purchase and install Arkansas’ largest video board at the Panther Stadium at Cabot High School.
The foundation also carries out student-recognition programs throughout the year, including the Real Proud of Real Panthers program, the Power Panther program and the Empowering Panthers program.
The CPF hosted the first ever Classys Banquet earlier this year, she said, which focused on celebrating and honoring classified employees in the district who go above and beyond their job requirements.
The 2017 CPF Hall of Fame Banquet is quickly approaching and will take place Tuesday in the Cabot Junior High School North cafeteria, she said.
Tickets cost $25 per person or $200 for a table of eight, and the banquet will begin at 6 p.m.
Jones said the foundation’s Hall of Fame Banquet honors Cabot High School graduates who stand out among the crowd.
“[It’s important] because it celebrates the success of public education by honoring talented graduates of the Cabot Public Schools, as well as local leaders who have provided distinguished service to influence public-school excellence,” she said.
Ronnie Abshure, Joseph Twedell Gunter, Larry Rogers, Brenda Covington Shurley and Mike Verkler will be honored at the 2017 event, she said.
Special guest speaker Joe Kleine, a former NBA player, will also make an appearance at the banquet.
Jones said the foundation brings the community of Cabot together to support the school district in all of its endeavors.
“Our members are investing in the lives of all of our students,” she said. “Our school district is the heart of our community and the driving force behind Cabot’s growth.
“Giving back allows us to show gratitude in words or actions, and brings us closer. It builds hope and generates compassion and warmth for others.”
Although Jones is enthusiastically devoted to her community, she said her heart truly resides at home with her family.
She currently lives in Cabot, where she was grown and raised, with her husband of 23 years, Greg Jones, and their 14-year-old daughter, Josie.
Cindy Jones graduated from Cabot High School in 1992 and earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 1997.
“This is my family’s home. My parents, my in-laws and my three sisters all live in the area,” she said. “We grew up here and moved away to Dallas for several years.”
Jones said she worked at Texas Instruments in Dallas as an event planner before giving birth to her daughter, and Jones’ job required her to spend a lot of time away from home.
“My husband and I traveled a lot, so when we had our daughter, we decided that wasn’t the life we wanted to lead anymore. After I had her, I didn’t want to go anywhere or miss anything. Your focus truly shifts, and your day-to-day life changes,” she explained.
“We started our family and knew we wanted her to know the love and strength of being together.”
Greg knows just how to make our daughter laugh, Jones said, and she can always count on him to be her rock and have her back.
Jones said Josie, who attends Cabot Freshman Academy, brightens the family up with her humor, wit and fun-loving personality.
“It’s amazing to watch kids grow and see how their personalities take shape. She’s a mixture of the best parts of her father and me. It’s always rewarding when someone tells you something your child has done, and you think, ‘She was listening. She is hearing what I’m saying. She’s understanding the values that we want for her.’”
Jones said her favorite thing to do is spend time with her family — piled up on the couch with the TV on— discussing the day.
“Time stops for no one, and you have to be mindful of this and grasp every moment you can to be together,” she said.
The family attends New Life Church in Cabot, she said, and she participates in at-home Life Groups as well.
In her free time, Jones can be found preparing food and entertaining house guests.
It’s fulfilling to prepare a meal and sit down at the table with friends and family, she said.
She also enjoys decorating for the holidays, traveling and trying out new recipes.
Jones is excited about the changing of the seasons, she said, and looks forward to the cooler portion of the year.
“I love the vibrant colors of fall and hot chocolate,” she said.
Pam Clem, accounting clerk for the Cabot School District, said she has volunteered at many foundation events alongside Jones.
Jones is always energetic, Clem said, and her commitment to CPF is unmistakable.
“The Cabot Panther Foundation gives our students many opportunities that they might not have otherwise been afforded, including scholarships,” she said.
Clem said she’s often involved behind the scenes at CPF events and fundraisers, doing anything from decorating, cleaning up, setting up, serving food and selling tickets.
“I’m just a worker bee,” she said.
Clem said the CPF annually provides 11 scholarships to Cabot High School seniors and also contributes funds toward purchasing things such as state-championship rings.
“Cindy’s dedication to the Cabot Panther Foundation is something I admire,” Clem said.
Jones said she is passionate about keeping a smile on her face because smiles can truly be used to change the world.
“This small act can impact someone’s day. If you lose your smile, you lose your way in the chaos of life. A smile is a gift; a smile costs nothing, yet gives so much,” she said.
Staff writer Kayla Baugh can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or kbaugh@arkansasonline.com.