Jesse Jones: A New Chapter in Public Service with Your Washington

In a moment of reunion, guest host of “The Day With Trae” Alicia Crank welcomed former journalist and director of Your Washington Jesse Jones to the show. After having left his position at KIRO 7 just last year, Jones received an unexpected call from the governor-elect Bob Ferguson’s office, inviting him to join the transition team. Jones learned Ferguson wanted him to establish and lead a customer experience division called Your Washington. 

Jones explained that the division, originally known as Results Washington, was changed to Your Washington, a conscious decision he made. “Nothing says customer experience [better] than taking state government out of it, right?” he said. “It's not our Washington. It's not state government's Washington."

Jones believes that historically, governments make the critical mistake of working in the best interest of themselves first, rather than making decisions that primarily benefit the customer. He aims to change this, noting that interactions with the government are "usually not a pleasant experience" due to inefficient, "siloed" systems. His goal is to ensure all people are treated with empathy and equity, regardless of their background or location, and to improve trust, ease, and efficiency in government services. 

With excitement, Jones explained that he intends to make government anticipatory, meaning "you should be able to log on and look at your tabs and not have to refill out the same form 18 times." He emphasizes that leaders must treat people as well as possible. “How you look on the outside to folks is a direct reflection of how your people treat others outside,” he said, directly addressing local leaders. He encourages the public to demand good customer experience and report both positive and negative experiences on their website. "We can't fix it unless you let us know,” he said. 

Visit wa.gov to learn more about Your Washington and all things Washington State government.