Dallas Cowboys executive vice president and chief brand officer Charlotte Jones has significantly influenced the team’s effort to give back to the community through initiatives like the Salvation Army National Red Kettle Campaign that kicks off every Thanksgiving and continues through the holiday season.
Now, the NFL and USAA are recognizing her for her efforts, nominating her for the league’s annual Salute to Service Award.
“For me, it’s always been about, we’ve got an incredible game that people are incredibly interested in,” Jones told NBC 5 DFW. “If we can take that magic and the energy that the game creates and that visibility and shine it over to the people that are truly doing the most good in our community, we should.”
In addition to the annual Salvation Army fundraiser, Jones is currently working to establish a museum in Arlington that pays homage to war veterans who have received a National Medal of Honor. The project has collected approximately $240 million so far and needs about $35 million more to reach its goal.
“I mean, we get to play football because they risked their lives, and they put it all on the line,” she explained to NBC 5. “They sacrificed family and many, the ultimate sacrifice to protect who we are as a country. There’s probably not a better point in time of our country than today for people to actually understand who we are as a country, what that actually means, and to hopefully inspire our next generation to protect it and understand that it could disappear just like that.”
The NFL partners with several veteran and active-duty military organizations to increase military awareness and award an influential figure in the community with the honor each season. Each team nominates a person from their organization, and fans vote to determine three finalists before a three-member panel selects the winner.
As mentioned above, Jones is no stranger to spearheading the team’s impact on the community and participation through charitable organizations. She has helped increase youth football participation through the NFL Foundation, has helped the league with conduct, health and safety, and legal gambling initiatives, served on the Salvation Army’s advisory board, and is actively involved in many other local and national organizations.
“I think that we always grew up under the mantra, ‘to whom much is given, much is required,’ and I think that we all take that to heart,” she told NBC 5. “I know I certainly do. I think that if there’s ever an opportunity to use all of this greatness to do something powerful with it, then we need to take it up.”