Jesse Jones made his name in TV, where he reported on consumer issues for decades. He had been let go from KIRO in October last year.
Jesse Jones made his name in TV, where he reported on consumer issues for decades. He had been let go from KIRO in October last year.
Gov. Bob Ferguson announced Wednesday the appointment of former KIRO-TV investigative reporter Jesse Jones as director of Results Washington, an agency responsible for making state agencies more efficient and transparent.
Jones made his name in television, where he reported on consumer issues for decades and was known for his “Get Jesse” segment.
Results Washington is an initiative created by former Gov. Jay Inslee through executive order in 2013 to track the performance of state agencies. The initiative measures progress toward goals in policy areas including education, environment and the economy.
According to the announcement from Ferguson’s office, improving agencies’ customer service will be a priority for Results Washington under Jones’ lead.
“Few things frustrate me more than bureaucracy that creates delays, confusion, or extra hurdles when people and businesses need questions answered and results delivered,” Ferguson said in the announcement. “Our mission must be to speed up government, improve customer service and center the people in every decision we make.”
Ferguson has indicated that efficiency will be a key focus of his administration, especially as the state faces a $10 billion budget shortfall. In an interview with The Seattle Times, Ferguson said that he is scrutinizing state agencies and is open to streamlining them, though he declined to name specific offices.
A Tacoma native, Jones got his start at KSTW, worked as an investigative reporter at TV stations in Baltimore and Cincinnati, and returned to the Pacific Northwest in 2005 as a consumer reporter for KING-TV. He worked at KIRO on consumer-focused investigations for a decade before being let go in October, Jones shared on LinkedIn at the time.
Jones’ investigative work had previously drawn the attention of Ferguson’s attorney general office. In 2023, Jones reported that Climate Pledge Arena concession vendors were charging an undisclosed 3% fee to consumers, which he verified by making transactions at a Seattle Storm game and Duran Duran concert.
Then-Attorney General Ferguson opened an investigation into the practice, resulting in an order that the arena pay $477,000 in refunds and penalties.
Last year, Jones was part of the reporting team recognized as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for a series of stories on Social Security payment clawbacks.
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