OLYMPIA — Today Governor Bob Ferguson announced the appointment of Matt Jones as Washington’s new director of the Department of Enterprise Services (DES).

Jones, serving as acting director since Jan. 15, will lead DES following 18 years in various divisions across the agency, from operations to policy. He previously served as the agency’s interim chief operations officer.

“Matt’s extensive knowledge of the Department of Enterprise Services made him a clear choice to lead the agency,” Governor Ferguson said. “His 18 years of experience at DES will serve Washingtonians well.”

“I am honored to have the trust and confidence of Governor Ferguson and look forward to serving the people of Washington as the director of DES,” Jones said. “As we continue to build the foundation of this agency to support the state enterprise, we need to strengthen the business of government, and ensure services are funneled to communities across the state. Areas of critical focus at DES are supporting small businesses, stewardship of the capitol campus and being effective business partners to state agencies, enabling the state to provide efficient services to the people of Washington.”

During his 18-year public service career at DES, Jones also served as the assistant director of capitol security and visitor services, supporting stewardship on the capitol campus.

Prior to state service, Jones worked in the information technology sector for the Olympia School District and several Fortune 100 companies, including Nike, IBM Global Services and Russell Investments. Jones grew up in the suburbs of Portland and spent significant portions of his upbringing and adult life in the Olympia area.

Jones is also an avid outdoor enthusiast. He enjoys paddleboarding, rock hounding and traveling with his family.  

Jones attended Pacific Lutheran University.