We have a motto at Ability360 Sports & Fitness Center: “Stay New.” Stay new gives our staff pride in maintaining our equipment, keeping the building in tip top shape and maintaining a very clean environment. Mark Jones certainly has shown this pride everyday he works. We give hundreds of tours each year, nothing gives me more pleasure when guiding a tour and the comment comes, “This facility is so clean, everything looks brand new.” Mark is a major player in this, not only does he keep us clean, he does his job with a contagious positive attitude. – Gus LaZear
How long have you been with Ability360?
I started volunteering 3.5 years ago. May 5th will be my second year as an employee.
What’s your current job title?
Day Porter
What other job titles have you held, if any?
No. I did this same work as a volunteer.
For people outside of the organization, what do you do?
I like to think I save lives by keeping things germ-free. I clean the Sports & Fitness Center and keep it in good shape.
Is there a work achievement you’re especially proud of?
My Wednesday fitness and conditioning class that I instruct for Arizona Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
What brought you here?
AZBVI came here to work out and I liked the facility and I’ve been here ever since. I signed up to volunteer right away.
What do you like most about your work?
Camaraderie – the employees and clientele that come to Ability360 and my ability to laugh and joke with them as I work.
Will you share a little something about your family?
I have a large, close-knit family.
Will you tell us about your best day ever?
The day my first child being born. I took her in my hands and held her up to the stars. I’m the father of 8 and grandfather of 5. That was a great moment.
What are people most surprised to know about you?
That I’m visually impaired. A lot of people see my mobility and how independent I am until they get close enough to see the discoloration in my eye and realize I’m blind. They’re always surprised by that.
Is there a movie or TV show you drop everything to watch?
Harlem Nights with Eddie Murphy, Della Reese, Redd Foxx and Arsenio Hall. It’s a good comedy.
If a mega-fortune fell into your lap, what would you do?
I would buy a customized bus, hire drivers and roam the county for six months while I planned what came long term.