Jenise M. Carroll will serve as San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones’ chief of staff. Credit: Courtesy Photo / City of San Antonio

San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones has named another City Hall outsider, former FBI chief diversity officer and retired U.S. Air Force Col. Jenise M. Carroll, as her new chief of staff.

Carroll, who also served as deputy director of diversity and inclusion for the U.S. Air Force and previously served as commander of the 75th Air Base Wing based in Utah, will replace Pennsylvania native Jordan Abelson, who abruptly left the Jones administration over the weekend after serving less than three weeks in the position.

“Dr. Caroll brings more than 30 years of executive leadership experience, both in and out of uniform, and I know she will well serve San Antonio as my Chief of Staff,” Jones said in a statement.

Jones didn’t mention Caroll’s recent jobs as of head of DEI initiatives at the FBI and Air Force in the statement, instead describing her employment history as including “senior executive service.” Caroll’s degrees include a doctorate of philosophy in business administration from the online, for-profit Trident University International, the document states.

Jones’ latest hire is only her third since being sworn in on June 18, according to the Express-News. In contrast, when Mayor Ron Nirenberg was first elected in 2017, had already hired a chief of staff, a communications director, and two senior policy advisors by this same point in time, according to the daily.

Carroll is also the mayor’s second hire for the chief of staff role to have no past experience in San Antonio city politics.

Abelson never lived nor worked in Texas, let alone San Antonio, prior to moving here in January to serve as Jones’ campaign communications director. Abelson didn’t respond to the Current’s request for comment on her departure.

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This article appears in Jun 26 – Jul 9, 2025.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...